The drama of women in Iran to go to football

[Akrapovic]

TIME spoke with the Iranian collective asking for equality and with journalists from that country. Bone scan.

 

 

Long hair covered under a blanket or hat. A prominent, false beard. The face without makeup, but painted with the colors of his club, and the body wrapped by a long coat or a flag. It is a costume, a man's costume. This is how the women of Iran enter the stadium if the outfit is convincing, if it does not arouse the suspicions of the police. Otherwise, they suffer the consequences: they are interrogated and detained. It is the risk that some run, in a country where football is prohibited for women.
Sahar Khodayari was Iranian, 30 years old, looking sweet but combative; Last March he arrived at the stadium to watch his team's match, Esteghlal FC, against Al-Ain, from Abu Dhabi, in Tehran. He was, of course, disguised as a man, with blue clothes, the colors of his team.
But it was discovered, arrested, interrogated. He spent a couple of days in prison. It was estimated that he would pay up to six months in jail. Then he made a more rebellious decision: he set himself on fire in front of the court that was judging her, he immolated himself and died as a result of burns on his body. He could not watch the game, but he did more: it became a symbol of women who want to enter the stadiums. They named her BlueGirl, the Blue Girl.
Sahar's suicide set off the alarms of world football, of Fifa herself, who undertook a diplomatic offensive to prevent more Sahar from being immolated, and instead, that women can go to football freely. It is not easy, Iran is the only country - after Saudi Arabia raised the standard - that maintains the ban. There is a cultural and political issue involved.
Iran women
The women of Iran, in a match of the last World Cup in Russia, where they had no restrictions.
Iran, Persian Gulf, 82 million inhabitants according to the last census. Place of culture, religion and football. Tehran is its capital, home of teams such as Persepolis, Esteghlal or PAS Tehran. A country that has attended five soccer World Cups, whose selection was directed by Carlos Queiroz, the current coach of Colombia. Iran, country where men ride bicycles, dress as they want and go to football. But where women don't do much of that.
The story dates back 40 years ago, when the Islamic Revolution took place. It meant the overthrow of the last pro-Western monarchy to give way to an anti-western system. Faced with this new scenario, many things changed, such as the ban on women from going to football stadiums.
Negar Mortazavi is a journalist, is a woman and is Iranian. He is a media analyst like BBC and Aljazeera, a British Independent correspondent. Know this reality from the inside: “The reasons are several, but the main one is that the stadiums do not have an adequate atmosphere. There are many curses and vulgar fights, and women and families will not be safe. It happens because a small minority of conservatives resist change. But it will change sooner rather than later. Especially now that the new generation really wants it, ”says Deny TO TIME.
The stadiums do not have an adequate atmosphere. There are many curses and vulgar fights, and women and families will not be safe.
That interest begins to be visible. A movement that fights against this type of discrimination against women was born in Iran 14 years ago. They are called ‘Open Stadiums’, an activist and clandestine organization. They do not give names, there is no more information about them. One of her spokespersons talked with EL TIEMPO to tell her reality.
“We started in 2005, when we were present at the front of the stadium. For each game we were going to protest and we carried posters saying that we also wanted to enter. At that time there were no social networks and it was harder to show the world what was happening. In 2013 we opened a Twitter account to internationally realize how much we are fighting for this right. What we want is a free and open stadium, that there is no gender segregation to enter the stadium, ”he says.
This woman, in a soft, almost sweet voice, which contrasts with the vehemence of her postures, tells that she has only gone to the stadium once, it was in 2007, and she slipped. But he clarifies that trying to disguise himself, as Sahar did, is neither habitual nor convenient. “They have done less than 10 women. It is a very big risk, ”he says.
Iran women
Iranian fans in a National team match.
The hijab, a traditional veil that covers the head of Muslim women, remains mandatory in Iran. Black robes known as chador are seen in certain regions. In others, as in Tehran,
Long hair covered under a blanket or hat. A prominent, false beard. The face without makeup, but painted with the colors of his club, and the body wrapped by a long coat or a flag. It is a costume, a man's costume.