At the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, football enthusiasts will scrutinize every match, analyzing offensive and defensive tactics, attacking, passing, and teamwork, while enthusiastically rooting for their favorite teams.
But inside Iran, the interest in football and the World Cup is quite different. Their national team’s performance at this year’s World Cup was overshadowed by the legendary football star who supports the Iranian protest movement. The arrest and death of her 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in Tehran sparked protests in September after she allegedly violated the country’s head covering law. The government’s brutal crackdown has killed more than 450 people, injured thousands, and imprisoned nearly 30,000 protesters.
Many Iranians expected their country’s national team to support the protests by taking a very public opportunity in Qatar to denounce the crackdown. I was disappointed that I couldn’t emulate the legendary hero.
By contrast, Iranian football stars have encouraged and supported the demonstrations since the protests began in September. With over 20 million followers on his various social media platforms, these superstars have worked hard to keep the protest movement alive. We create a virtual opposition through interviews and an active online presence. They successfully countered government-owned media attempts to downplay or discredit the demonstrations. They post videos documenting atrocities committed by security forces and serve as ambassadors for young fans against the Islamic Republic’s tyranny.
When former Iranian national team captain and legendary forward Ali Daei made a vocal statement against the regime, the Iranian government seized his property and business. But it wasn’t the worst. In the post, Daei said, “I have received many threats against myself and my family over the last few months and days from several organizations, media and unknown individuals. He rebuked the government and remembered being taught “honor, patriotism and freedom” as a child. What do you want to achieve with such a threat? ”
Daeh declined an invitation from FIFA officials to attend the World Cup, which kicked off on 22 November, telling protesters: My condolences to all the families who have lost loved ones. Then she released a video of a woman dancing without her headscarf. It became a symbol of nationwide protests.
Ali Karimi, another football legend known as the “Magician” or the Maradona of Asia, has proven to be a thorn on the side of the Iranian regime with his fiery rhetoric and ardent support of the protests. He was the first prominent Iranian to blame Iran’s moral police for Amini’s death. He criticized the foreign media for not properly covering the protests, saying, “As you know, the Iranian people are going through a very difficult time right now. I’m ignoring, now I have more important issues than football and I want to be with people and be their voice.
Karimi advised the Iranian military not to get involved in the crackdown. He encourages protesters to stay determined.
Additionally, Karimi acts as an information clearinghouse. He raised the alarm when the infamous Evin Prison, where the regime holds protesters, was set on fire. Thousands of protesters flocked to the prison and attracted the attention of major media outlets such as CNN, Reuters, The New York Times and The Washington Post.
After Amini’s death, Kurdistan saw the biggest protests in recent history. This is because she was Kurdish. A Kurdish football legend and former captain of Tehran’s main football club, Esteghlal, Voriaghri has a large following on her social media. He, too, is an outspoken critic of the Iranian authorities. He has opposed a long-standing ban on female spectators at football matches and called for an end to the violent crackdown on protests in the Kurdistan region.
When Ghafuri was arrested on charges of “incitement against the regime”, some of Iran’s most prominent coaches and athletes defended him.In particular, Ali Karimi documented Ghafuri’s situation online. Finally, the authorities relented and granted him bail. His arrest had the ironic effect of boosting his fame. People applauded him for not backing down and willingness to risk imprisonment.
Arresting the popular footballer was a bold move by the Iranian government that appears intended to send a message to the Iranian national team. Although he refused, he reluctantly sang in the next match. They were reluctant. They looked like funerals. What kind of pressure did they face from the authorities?
Their defeat occurred on November 29, five days after Volya Ghafri’s arrest and three days after his release. To what awaits returning players, it seemed like a barely disguised threat. The team was caught between the frustrations of both the demonstrators and the government. In their defense, they were trying to win a World Cup match in near impossible circumstances. It was weaker than people had hoped for, but that’s understandable.
The solidarity shown by the Iranian football stars is truly inspiring and deserves to be supported by US sports organizations. They have sacrificed their personal well-being to lead by example in the fight against dictatorship. In the words of Nelson Mandela, “Sport has the power to change the world. Wherever sport can create hope.”
Bahman Bakhtiari is the executive director of Baskerville Institute.
