June 22, 2018
First, the government said it would allow women into stadiums to watch Iran play in the World Cup on giant screens. Then, it changed its mind and locked the gates to women for the first match. But it changed its mind again a few days later and allowed women in to watch the second match—but not until police had kept women out for hours.
If the regime seems a little confused, it might be because the regime is a little confused.
Still, the takeaway point is that Iranian female soccer fans were allowed into the main national stadium, Azadi, for the first time in 37 years after the government finally relaxed its ban.
The change came after the lockout had become a flashpoint for the controversial ban.
Hopes that the ban would be lifted for the first match against Morocco were dashed hours before kickoff when the authorities said the necessary authorizations had not been given. They didn’t say who squelched the plan, but conservative clerics have been the most vocal opponents of women watching men play.
A few days later, however, the media announced that women and families could watch the second match on big screens in two Tehran stadiums, Azadi and Takhti.
However, women who had bought tickets arrived to find police and security forces had blocked access, saying the plan had once again been canceled due to “infrastructural issues.”
The police refusal sparked a sit-in protest, with some women (and men) saying they would not leave until the women were let in, according to social media reports.
Women were allowed in an hour before the match after a special order from Interior Minister Abdol-Reza Rahmani-Fazli.
Women have not been allowed inside sporting venues since soon after the 1979 revolution and both Presidents Ahmadi-nejad and Rohani have failed to persuade the religious establishment to budge.
Those rejecting mixed audiences have in the past said women should not be exposed to the swearing of male fans and police do not have enough female officers to provide security. Others have said that the sight of men running around in shorts would arouse women—although the women can watch games on television and see the same men running around in the same shorts.
The turnaround was hailed by Spain’s captain, Sergio Ramos. After his team beat Iran 1-0, he shared photographs of Iranian female fans and said: “They are the ones who won tonight—hopefully the first of many.”