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September 30, 2022
On September 16 the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while in police custody shook Iran and the world, triggering ongoing protests against the strict repression of women in the country. Last Tuesday, during a friendly match in Vienna against Senegal in preparation for Qatar 2022, the Iranian national team lent their support in the fight for equality for women in the strictly governed country.
Amini died in custody after being detained in Tehran by Iran’s ‘morality police’ for allegedly not complying with the country’s hijab rules. Once the news broke, the country erupted in frustration and grief, with anti-government demonstrations spreading accross the country and globally. Despite a growing death toll and a fierce crackdown by security forces, groups have been heading to the streets and many people, especially women including Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe – a British-Iranian national who spent six years in jail in Iran – are cutting their hair and removing their headscarves to protest.
The Iranian footballers joined in by covering up their country’s colors and badges during the match, wearing black jackets while the national anthem played. “At worst I’ll be dismissed from the national team,” wrote Iran player Sardar Azmoun on Instagram, which he later deleted. “No problem. I’d sacrifice that for one hair on the heads of Iranian women. This story will not be deleted. They can do whatever they want. Shame on you for killing so easily; long live Iranian women.”
Azmoun joined other players who showed their support by blacking out the profile pictures on their social media accounts. In addition to not celebrating their goal in the match, midfielder Zobeir Niknafs shaved his head in solidarity, while others such as former Bayern Munich player Ali Karimi and Iranian legend Ali Daei also took to social media to lend their support. “A homeland is waiting for you. Do not let innocent blood be shed,” wrote Karimi who has been called by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to be arrested following his support for the ongoing demonstrations in the country.
Iran is ranked 116 out of the 153 countries in terms of legal discrimination against women. According to Human Rights Watch, the Iranian government enforced new laws that “further violate women’s rights to sexual and reproductive health and puts women’s health and lives at risk.” Among the strict laws for women who must be covered in public, women were banned from entering football stadiums to watch matches involving men. On Tuesday night, Austrian referee Sara Telek officiated the match without a hijab, which was broadcast live in Iran. The move to have Telek participate was made by UEFA according to news outlet DW, which was seen as a “beacon of hope” for women across the country.
Earlier this week, UN Women issued a statement on women’s rights in Iran following the days of unrest. “UN Women stands with the women of Iran in their rightful demands to protest injustice without reprisal, and to be free to exercise their bodily autonomy, including their choice of dress and also supports them in seeking accountability, and the upholding of their basic human rights as stipulated in the Charter of the United Nations.”
Human rights groups have said that at least 83 people had been confirmed killed in the two weeks of demonstrations, while dozens of activists have been detained and at least 28 journalists have been arrested.
Source: The Guardian and DW
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