On Sunday, after Iran defeated side Uruguay 1-0 in a friendly match, Sardar Azmoun took to Instagram and wrote: “Because of the restrictive laws that apply to us in the national team, I’m not allowed to speak out… I know I risk being sent home, but I can’t stand it. Never again! You will never be like this can erase this from your conscience. Shame on you! You kill easily. Long live Iranian women!”
References were clear. Azmoun, like many Iranians, was furious at the police response for the protests that have rocked Iran – from the capital Teheran to the smallest rural villages – after the death of Mahsa Amini, who was detained after being arrested by the so-called “moral police”. She is 22 years old, according to her brother, who was with her when she was arrested, she was told she was not wearing a headscarf or headscarf in the proper way.
Azmoun, who has more than 5 million followers, saw his post go viral almost immediately. In a country – and a national team – getting ready and playing in sheltered, almost surreal conditions, like my colleague Mark Ogden reported last week, it has fueled the fire of those who want change. On Monday night, when Iran plays Senegal in another friendly match, drawn 1-1, Iranian players stepped out in a black jacket before the matchwhich many see as a sign of protest.
27-year-old striker, who plays for Bayer Leverkusen inside Bundesliga, is celebrated as a hero both in his home country and in Iranian communities around the world. His post was later deleted and his account was subsequently deleted. The account reappeared on Wednesday, and this time Azmoun appears to have made a 180-degree turn.
“I have to apologize to the players of the national team because I have upset my beloved friends, some fans even insulted the national team,” he wrote. “This is unfair in any way and it was my mistake. I blame myself and am ashamed of all the members of the national team and the technical staff who caused order. and the peace of the team is disturbed.”
Bring what? We don’t know, although many will draw their own conclusions. There is no question that those who insist that politics have no place in sport live somewhere between a place called denial and the hole that ostriches head into. It’s been here and there for a long time. Because, to put it simply, few endeavors get as much attention or give a big stage as football, especially international football. And there is nothing bigger than the World Cup that Iran will attend this November in Qatar, where they are in a group with USA, England and Wales.
The elephant in the room is what will happen when Iran kicks off their World Cup campaign against England on November 21. Assuming Azmoun and his colleagues don’t suddenly change their mind (he’s one of the two who voice their views so clearly on social media, but many others have blacked out their profiles in solidarity), what do they do when they step out onto the field with billions of people? watch around the world?
And, if the protests are not quelled – you pray not by the government’s brutal repression, but by greater understanding, tolerance and respect for women’s rights – the government will respond. how to respond? What does the host country, Qatar, a neighbor and historically close ally of Iran, do? And, last but certainly not least, how did FIFA react?
Let’s take the last two, as they are simpler. Qatar, like Iran, is also a Muslim country ruled by a royal family was under surveillance for human rights violations, especially when it comes to LGBTQ issues and the rights of migrant workers. But there is no “moral police” in Qatar – at least unlike in Iran – and Muslim women are not forced to wear the hijab (although many do so by choice or custom). Iran has no right to force Qatar to do anything and even less while the whole world is watching, and they have pledged to be welcoming and inclusive (at least for the duration of the tournament). ).
On the FIFA side, they have laws that prohibit slogans, messages or actions of a political, religious or personal nature. But what was once a strict stance has softened over the years as society has changed. A year ago, when Norway and Germany display a human rights message aimed squarely at Qatar, FIFA refused to take action, saying it “believes in free speech and in the power of football as a force for good.” And as players began to kneel or show support for protesters following the death of George Floyd, FIFA president Gianni Infantino said the players should be responded to with “applause, not applause.” Punishment.”
Let’s throw in the fact that captains of nine European countries at the World Cup will play with a bracelet with a rainbow flag on it and “One Love” message, and it’s hard to see action taken. (And while the armbands don’t explicitly represent Qatar’s treatment of migrant workers or the safety of the LGBTQ community, This newsletter from the Football Association of England leaves little doubt as to what the message is.)
This leaves the players and the Iranian government with big question marks. Of the 27 players called up by coach Carlos Queiroz for the past two friendlies, 16 are currently playing for their club outside Iran and another seven have played abroad. So it’s not surprising that many people agree with the protesters and their calls for women’s rights: They have firsthand experience of a different way of life. And that, coupled with the massive popularity of “Team Melli” (as the Iranian nationalist faction is known) and the huge platform it gives them, makes them a potential threat to the more conservative elements in the Iranian regime.
On the one hand, the vast majority have family, friends and business interests in Iran and could face consequences back home if they take public positions in Qatar. On the other hand, it could be what pushes the balance towards a more just, less oppressive society against women and they may never have such an overt platform again. These are the pressures facing the Melli team, six weeks out of the World Cup. Don’t tell them that politics and social messaging have no place in football. That ship has been out for a long time.
