A decision by Iranian authorities to allow a small group of selected women to watch an October 16 soccer match between Iran and Bolivia at Tehran’s Azadi (Freedom) Stadium was welcomed by the country’s reformist press as a step forward and a victory for Iranian women, who have been banned from men’s sports events.
Yet, in a sign that the joy and victorious mood may be short-lived, a senior judiciary official quickly blasted the women’s presence at the stadium, saying that it’s sinful for women to watch “half-naked” men play football.
Iranian women cheer during the friendly between Iran and Bolivia at Azadi Stadium in Tehran on October 16.
Photos of the female spectators looking happy and giving the victory sign went viral on social media and were republished in several daily newspapers. The women were reportedly relatives of Iran’s national team players, relatives of members of Iran’s football federation, or soccer players themselves.