“FIFA is the biggest problem in this whole tournament.” – Outrage over FIFA ignoring Iran protests
Amna Abdullatif, a member of the women’s campaigning group, the Three Hijabi’s, expressed her outrage over the lack of action by FIFA in relation to the protests in Iran.
The protests, which have taken place over the past few months, were sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini. She died whilst in police custody after being arrested for not complying with Iran’s policy regarding head coverings for women.
During the demonstrations – that have spread across the nation – over 300 protestors have been killed with a further 14,000 being arrested according to a UN report. Of those detained, at least eight have reportedly been sentenced to death.
The Three Hijabi’s, a group taking a role in the campaign to promote women’s rights in Iran, today released a statement expressing their disappointment. It said: “This World Cup cannot and must not ignore violence against women and girls and gender-based violence inside and outside of football.”
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Amna Abdullatif, a member of the group, went further in expressing her disappointment at the lack of action by FIFA. She told the Sports Gazette: “I think FIFA is the biggest problem in this whole tournament.
“The World Cup is a World stage and although FIFA would love to remind us to keep our politics at home, the reality is that this World Cup is a political game. I don’t think they have done anything to be able to support and show solidarity towards women in Iran or elsewhere to be frank.
“I find FIFA absolutely horrendous.”
Whilst Abdullatif did not go as far as to say Iran should have been removed from the tournament, she did argue that the lack of sanctions by FIFA on Iran are a disappointment. She said: “We’ve seen some of the ways in which Russia has been dealt with during this tournament, something similar really should have been put in place for Iran.”
She added: “I feel FIFA’s position is ‘we don’t want to bring in politics’, but I don’t think that violence against women should be something FIFA deem as not important enough.”
Iranian celebrities and sports stars have been voicing their support for the protests, including legendary footballer Ali Daei. The striker was captain of the Iran national team between 2000-2006, making 149 appearances and scoring 109 times. Daei confirmed he had turned down an invitation to watch the tournament, deciding to stay at home in solidarity with the protestors.
Iran’s entire team stood in silence as their national anthem was played during their opening game in the World Cup against England, in an apparent protest against the Islamic Republic’s regime. Protests in the crowd sent a clear message – ‘Women, Life, Freedom’.
Abdullatif commended those players who have dared to protest, knowing what the potential consequences could be. She said: “I think it is incredibly brave that players are speaking out even though they are putting their lives and their families lives potentially at risk for doing so.”
The Three Hijabi’s goal is to ensure that the protests in Iran are kept firmly in the spotlight, even with the nation competing in the Qatar World Cup.
She said: “For us, it is much more about standing in solidarity and talking about these issues and ensuring we are pushing for action to happen.”
Abdullatif and the Three Hijabi’s have previously worked to help stop violence against women in Premier League spaces, and the group continues to raise money to help stop gender violence in football.
