Gianni Infantino, FIFA’s president, has urged Iran to lift a 40-year ban that prevents women to attend soccer events. This comes shortly after activist Sahar Khodayari set herself on fire and burned to death outside of a courthouse. Sahar was facing a six-month prison sentence for having tried to enter a stadium dressed as a man.
Infantino Urges Iran to Let Women Attend Soccer Games
FIFA boss Gianni Infantino continues to act as a unifier in global soccer. He has appealed to Iranian authorities to lift a ban that prohibits women from attending soccer games and entering stadiums. Infantino has asked Iran to allow women to watch the games live ahead of the World Cup qualifying game in October.
More attention was drawn to the ban when Sahar Khodayari, an activist, set herself on fire and died outside a courthouse to protest a sentence which she was facing for dressing like a man in order to enter a stadium.
Infantino said that FIFA expected ‘positive’ developments as Iran was readying up for the official qualifying match played on home turf. The ban has persisted since the Islamic Revolution which reverted the country from a secular society to a religious one.
The FIFA president is correct to point out the incompatibility of the ban as FIFA’s statutes prohibit any discrimination by member-states. He didn’t hesitate to say this to Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani in person, saying that FIFA’s position was ‘clear and firm,’ and women had their place at stadiums.
Infantino Isn’t Doing Enough, Activists Say
However, not everyone has been happy with the manner in which Infantino has approached the subject. Open Stadiums, an organization campaigning to end the ban, has described Infantino’s actions as insufficient and even soft. This is what the group’s Twitter account had to add to Infantino’s appeal:
This is even softer than previous letter to Iran and still is talking only about the World Cup qualification matches. Sahar’s death and activists in danger didn’t change FIFA’s action, they need process and steps for any actions.
However, a FIFA president is in no position to strongarm a country to change its stance completely. With escalation between Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United States escalating and approaching ‘an-all out war,’ as Iran has warned, Infantino would be reluctant to come across as trying to impose a Western point of view.
Meanwhile, Open Stadiums has reminded that Iran is already excluded by the world’s judo organization amid growing tensions with Israel as well as other objections on the part of the governing body.
Infantino commented the issue with the Iranian ban explaining that the proper steps and processes would need to be taken to make sure that a solution is reached.
