Disqualification of Iran’s Team Is Sought at World Cup

Iran’s national soccer team will arrive at Doha, Qatar, next month to play against America, the so-called Great Satan, in a first-round World Cup match. As the tournament’s November 20 opening day approaches, though, a major challenge could end the Iranian dream of a world championship even before the competition kicks off. An Iranian journalist and activist, Masih Alinejad, in collaboration with a Spanish law firm, Ruiz-Huerta & Crespo, sent a formal request to the International Federation of Association Football, known as FIFA, to ban the Iranian team from World Cup 2022.“I can now announce that today the most important step has been taken to expel the Islamic Republic of Iran from the World Cup,” Ms. Alinejad wrote on her Twitter account on Tuesday. She also mentioned that she received the support of Iranian athletes and a “group of the most prominent international lawyers” to send the legal petition.Just qualifying for the World Cup, the world’s most watched sporting event, is a source of national pride. As the luck of the draw would have it, Iran’s grouping in the first round includes England, Wales, and America. Politically, the Islamic Republic is vehemently anti-American and it harbors deep resentment against England. Even worse, the Iranian regime despises many of its own people — especially women. Female fans are banned from stadiums where sporting events take place.The regime currently is engaged in a bloody attack on Iranians who yearn to overthrow the clerics who wrote such harsh laws. Ms. Alinejad’s press release notes that Tehran’s brutality toward anti-regime protesters has reached a “tipping point.” It calls on FIFA to separate the Islamic Republic from the “sports world.” “The situation in Iran is deeply unpalatable in the broader political and socio-economic framework,” the press release says, adding, “tragically, the same evils and wrongs are perpetuated within the football sphere, effectively meaning that football is not a safe space for women, or even men.”Ms. Alinejad notes that the Iranian Football Federation follows the Islamic Republic’s guidelines toward women, and therefore its athletic activities are influenced by the regime. According to Article 19 of FIFA’s Code of Ethics, teams should “not perform their duties in situations in which an existing or potential conflict of interest might affect” their athletic performance.In addition, the press release argues that Iran is violating articles 3 and 4 of FIFA’s code of ethics by forbidding women’s participation in the soccer sphere. These articles state that participating institutions must respect and protect international human rights. In the past 20 years FIFA has banned some 11 countries for violating the association’s code of ethics. In February this year, FIFA banned the Russian team from international competitions following the invasion of Ukraine. In August, it banned the All India Football Federation, citing “third party” intervention. FIFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Sun.Iran is now undergoing a fifth week of nationwide protest. Violence is rising as anti-government demonstrators demand the end of the regime following the death of a 22-year-old woman, Mahsa Amini, who allegedly violated hijab regulations.Police have reportedly attacked crowds with tear gas and live ammunition. According to human rights groups, about 240 people have been killed, 32 of whom were children, but the numbers are likely much higher. Beyond women, the Iranian government is now silencing the voices of several athletes who speak out against the regime’s repression. Soccer team players, including Hossein Mahini, Aref Gholmani, and Ali Karimi, have been threatened by the regime or have been arrested.The latest case is Elnaz Rekabi, an athlete who did not wear a hijab during a climbing competition in South Korea. According to reports, Ms. Rekabi’s brother was arrested before she contended that her performance was not meant to challenge the regime’s hijab rules. The World Cup is a “celebration of international solidarity and peace,” Ms. Alinejad argues in her press release. It should not allow the participation of a country that is “actively persecuting its women, athletes, and children for only exercising their most basic human rights.”

Disqualification of Iran’s Team Is Sought at World Cup

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