Iran women allowed into football stadium for first time in decades – World

Iranian fans are free to enter a football stadium on Thursday for the first time in decades, after FIFA threatened to suspend the Islamic Republic for its controversial men's-only policy.

Iran has excluded spectators from football and other stadiums for approximately 40 years, and clerics argue that they must protect themselves from the masculine atmosphere and sight of half-naked men.

The governing body of world football, FIFA, ordered Iran last month to allow women access to stadiums without restrictions and in numbers determined by the demand for tickets.

The directive came after a fan called "Blue Girl" died after catching fire for fear of being imprisoned for dressing up as a child to attend a game.

The women rushed to get tickets to attend Iran's qualification for the 2022 World Cup against Cambodia at the Azadi Stadium in Tehran on Thursday.

The first batch sold out in less than an hour, and additional seats also sold out in a short time, state media said.

An official from the Sports Ministry said the stadium with a capacity for 100,000 people, whose name means "Freedom" in Farsi, was ready to house even more women.

One of the 3,500 women who obtained a ticket was Raha Poorbakhsh, a football journalist.

"I still can't believe this is going to happen because after all these years of work in this field, watching everything on television, now I can experience everything in person," he said. AFP.

& # 39; Blue girl & # 39;

But Poorbakhsh said he was aware of many other women without tickets and that some were expected to travel from as far away as Ahvaz in southern Iran, hoping to get one.

Those who are lucky enough to attend will be separated from the men and monitored by 150 female police officers, according to Fars news agency.

People in the streets of Tehran said they supported the decision to allow women to enter the stadiums.

"I wish there was freedom for women, like men, to go freely and even sit together without restrictions, as in other countries," said one woman who only identified herself as Hasti.

Nader Fathi, who runs a clothing business, said the presence of women could improve the atmosphere in the stadiums.

But he said they "will regret it" if they are exposed to "bad bad words" and "bad behavior."

The bumpy road that Iranian women have traveled to get free access to the stadiums has not been without tragedy.

Sahar Khodayari died last month after catching fire in front of a court for fear of being jailed for attending a match.

Nicknamed "blue girl" due to the colors of the club she supported, Esteghlal FC reportedly had been arrested last year while trying to enter a stadium dressed as a child.

His death sparked a protest, and many asked FIFA to ban Iran and fans to boycott the matches.

The spokesman for the judiciary, Gholamhossein Esmaili, at that time dismissed the reports that had been told that she would be imprisoned for six months as "false rumors and rumors."

And Khodayari's father told him Mehr news agency that she did not "sacrifice" for any reason.

FIFA shadow

Before Qatar 2022, Iran was pressured by FIFA to allow women to attend this round of World Cup qualifiers.

The ban on women in stadiums is not written in the law or regulations, but has been strictly enforced.

Since the Islamic revolution of 1979, women have only had rare access to stadiums in Iran.

Around 20 Irish women attended a World Cup qualifier in 2001, and four years later, a few dozen Iranian women were allowed to watch the national "Melli Team" face Bahrain.

In October, up to 100 "carefully selected" Iranian women entered Azadi for a friendly against Bolivia.

But the next day, the attorney general warned that there would be no repetition, saying that "it would lead to sin."

The issue has been divisive in Iran.

The reformist camp has welcomed the decision to allow women to enter Thursday's game, while conservatives have argued that football is not a priority for women.

The financial newspaper Donya-e-Eqtesad called it "a step to weaken a taboo and also free Iranian football from the imminent shadow of FIFA's punishment."

But the ultraconservative Keyhan He said daily that women were more concerned about economic problems.

"There are still many single girls at home who fear the cost of marriage. The government should think about this, not send them to the stadiums," said one mother.