June 17, 2016
A goalie in Iran’s senior professional soccer league has been suspended for six months because someone doesn’t like the trousers he was photographed wearing. The pants bore a resemblance to the American cartoon figure SpongeBob SquarePants.
The sports website Varzesh3, which is state operated, quoted an unnamed official of the Iranian Football Federation as saying, “We made the [suspension] decision based on the clothing of this player and the impact it could have on society.”
However, the next day, after ridicule had been heaped on the Islamic Republic from all around the world, Mahbub Afrasiabi, identified as the chair of the federation’s Morality Committee, denied the suspension was prompted by the player’s trousers and said the issue—what issue was not made clear—would be dealt with after Ramadan ends, four weeks from when he spoke.
The suspended player is Sosha Makani, 29, who is a goalkeeper with the Persepolis club in Tehran. He has also played in three national team games under Coach Carlos Queiroz.
Last January, Makani was arrested for posting pictures on social media that showed him standing with two well-endowed but poorly covered women. The photos were deemed anti-Islamic. The official charge was, “Publishing pictures that lead to the spread of corruption and prostitution in society.” However, Makani’s lawyer insisted his social media accounts had been hacked and the offending photos posted by two other individuals.
Some thought the trousers suspension was an over-reaction by sports officials who are trying to prevent the Judiciary from harassing athletes. Hardliners have been very suspicious of athletes in general since several members of the national soccer team wore green wristbands during a match abroad at the time of the post-election protests by the “Green Movement.” The green bands disappeared over half-time when government officials telephoned team officials at the stadium.
The SpongeBob pants became public May 6, when the photo of Makani in the spotted yellow pants first appeared online. Iranian news agencies soon reported Makani was being scrutinized by the authorities over his trousers.
The authorities sometimes appear to have more problems with fictional American characters than the real thing, though this appears to be the first time that SpongeBob SquarePants has fallen afoul of the regime. Mickey Mouse has never been particularly popular with the Iranian authorities, and Barbie is hated and has long been targeted by officials, which only seems to have made her more attractive in Iran.
Authorities are concerned about how the country’s cultural and sport figures appear in public, and are particularly sensitive to their appearances on social media.
The unnamed member of the morality committee was quoted by Varzesh3 as saying Makani had refused to go to the federation offices to face questioning on his trousers, despite being officially summoned.
Iranians reacted with a mixture of incredulity, outrage and sarcasm. One user joked on Twitter that Makani was lucky because, had he worn a pair of SpongeBob boxer shorts, he would have been given a death sentence. Another tweeted, “Sosha Makani’s appearance was awful, but being able to choose what you want to wear is a basic matter in the world.”
One comment on Asriran’s website criticized the suspension, saying that while other international federations are busily investigating financial corruption, the Iranian body concerns itself with players’ hairstyles and clothing.
Lately, the police seem to be spending a great deal of time watching photos on social media. Several models have been arrested for not covering their hair. Actress Taraneh Alidoosti has been denounced when a photo revealed she has a feminist tattoo on her left arm.