June 22, 2018
Iranian fans attending the team’s first game of the World Cup in Russia unfurled two banners protesting Iran’s ban on women attending soccer matches back home.
The banners read “#NoBan4Women,” “Support Iranian Women to Attend Stadiums” and “Let Iranian women enter their stadiums.”
After being unfurled, there was a brief commotion and then the banners were put away. The reason for the commotion wasn’t immediately clear, but three stewards moved across to where one banner was raised, presumably to enforce the FIFA rule against any political demonstrations at games.
It was rolled up for the remainder of the first half. Then, in the second half, one banner was moved up the field near the other goal.
However, the day after the game, FIFA said it had authorized the banners before the match. While FIFA rules bar political statements at matches, FIFA said it had found the banners to be a social appeal. FIFA said the banners “express a social appeal as opposed to a political slogan and were therefore not prohibited.” FIFA publicly opposes the ban on women attending Iranian soccer games.
Meanwhile, in one of the main squares in Tehran, a billboard was posted by the government showing fans celebrating and holding aloft the World Cup, accompanied by the slogan “One nation, one heartbeat.” But there were no women in the picture, which prompted much ridicule.
Quickly, a new billboard went up in Valiasr Square showing women among the fans pictured.
In St. Petersburg, one couple came to the stadium with a banner reading “4127 km to be at the stadium as a family.”
The husband told The Associated Press, “We should come here, 4,127 kilometers to be at the stadium as a family. Why? This is stupid.” He was supported by his wife, who said she was extremely happy to be going to a game.
Players have also previously lent their support to the cause.
Iran captain Masud Shojai, who is playing in his third World Cup, has been a vocal advocate of ending the ban, as has former Bayern Munich midfielder Ali Karimi — who played 127 matches for Iran.
President Rohani met with FIFA President Gianni Infantino in Tehran March 1 and said the ban against women in stadiums would be lifted—but he didn’t say when. The conservative clergy remains solidly against allowing women in stadiums.
On the same day Rohani met Infantino, 35 women were detained for trying to attend the Tehran derby between Esteqlal and Persepolis, and which Infantino attended.
Women disguising themselves as men have often tried to enter soccer stadiums, some of them successfully and posting photos of themselves in beards and wigs on social media. A group known on Twitter as OpenStadiums has been pushing for access, describing itself as “a movement of Iranian women seeking to end discrimination (and) let women attend stadiums.”