On November 12, 2021, Tobias, my best friend, and I drove 600km into the western Canadian prairies to watch Canada's national men's football team play against Costa Rica, in the 2022 Qatar World Cup qualification games at the Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton. Canada has not qualified for the FIFA World Cup tournament since 1986, but this year they had a fair chance to represent the American continent in Doha. More than fifty thousand Canadian fans had booked their seats to support their national team even though the temperature was around negative ten degrees Celsius.
We planned to take the bus from the hotel to the stadium instead of driving to avoid the crowded streets. When we arrived at the stadium's entrance gates, thousands of men and women had queued to enter the stadium. Some of them were wrapped in blankets to keep themselves warm from the brutally cold wind yet they were chanting and laughing.
But when the match began, I could barely pay attention to what was happening on the pitch. I was captivated by the fans! I was not used to seeing men and women alongside each other at a national football game, supporting their country proudly. I am from Iran, a country where the Islamist rulers have banned women from entering the stadiums. The dichotomy between my previous and new life, as always, led me to recall a dire memory of my home country.
THE TRAGEDY OF SAHAR KHODAYARI
On March 12, 2019, Sahar Khodayari, a 29-year-old woman, tried to enter the Azadi (freedom) stadium in Tehran disguised as a man to watch a football match between her favourite club Esteghlal Football Club (FC) from Iran, and Al Ain FC from the United Arab Emirates. Unfortunately, she missed the game and was arrested on the charges of "appearing in public without a Hijab". She spent three nights in jail and was released on bail until her trial a few months later.
On September 2, she went to court, but the judge was not there. He had to take the day off for a family emergency. Sahar overheard that she might be sentenced to six months in jail. Distraught, she left the court building, poured gasoline on herself, and set herself on fire. She passed away a week later in the hospital.
Sahar's death ignited a worldwide outcry over the discriminatory ban on Iranian women at public events. Many activists and athletes worldwide took to social media to speak up for them. They urged FIFA (the international governing body of association football) to hold the Iranian football federation accountable for its gender discrimination.
FIFA had already given the federation numerous warnings but has not seen any changes in the Iranian officials' gender-discriminatory policies. After Sahar's suicide, FIFA gave the Iranian federation a month to lift the ban. As anticipated, the Iranian officials manipulated FIFA again by allowing a small group of women, mostly selected from their own families, to enter the stadium during the 2022 World Cup Qualification matches. After the qualification games, women were again prevented from entering the stadiums to watch the Iranian premier league. Unfortunately, FIFA did not take the matter seriously enough to suspend the Iranian football federation. Iran is a crucial member of FIFA from Western Asia, so it's not surprising that their violations flew under the radar.
THE AYATOLLAH’S OPPOSITION TO WOMEN IN STADIUMS
"The stadium’s environment is not appropriate for women, and their interactions with men could lead to ethical and social problems. Also, the male players are not properly dressed during the game, which is not suitable for women," said the 96-year-old influential Grand Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi.
Makarem's reasoning mirrors the depth of repressive patriarchy and gender discrimination in Iranian society. Even Sahar's own father was pressured by the oppressive ideology of Makarem. After her tragic death, he had to publicly state that her death was due to a history of depression; rather than the pain and suffering resulting from merely BEING a woman in Iran. Iranian women face gross injustice daily. Being barred from entering the stadium is just one form of discrimination women face under the Islamic Republic. In Iran, women are forcefully kidnapped on the streets by the morality police for violating the dress code. Their testimony at court is worth half as much as that of a man. Yet, Iranian women continue to be some of the loudest and strongest voices in the fight for human rights.
Back in Edmonton, I hear the referee blow the whistle. Canada had scored a goal and won the game. The woman next to me bounced up and down, screaming with excitement. At that moment, I could feel the spirit of Sahar next to me, and I wondered what her life would have been if she had been able to live in another country like me.
Aria (he/him) is an Iranian-Canadian immigrant and Human Rights activist. He is currently pursuing a Master's in International Affairs and Diplomacy at the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR). He previously obtained a Master's in Education and Bachelor's degree in English Translation. He is also a former Youth Fellow at the Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies, where he worked on Digital Authoritarianism. Aria's research interests are human rights, civil movements, Iran and the Middle East, digital authoritarianism, and political hip hop. He aims to increase political awareness about the human rights situation in Iran and the Middle East.