At their World Cup opener against England, Iran’s national team boycotted the singing of the anthem. Iran expert Farid Ashrafian expects further protests in an interview with Sportschau.
It caused a sensation around the world: when the national anthem was played in Iran’s opening game against England (2:6) by the Khalifa International Stadium sounded, the mouths of the Iranian internationals remained closed. Nobody sang along.
Iranian television interrupts World Cup broadcast
A sign that is seen as solidarity with the Iranian anti-regime protests. The Iranian state television had therefore interrupted the live broadcast of the anthem. Since 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died in police custody, people have been demonstrating across large parts of Iran in a bid to overthrow the government.
They tried to violently suppress the protests. More than 300 people are said to have died, and many were imprisoned.
Iran expert Ashrafian: “The Perfect Platform”
The Iranian national team used the big stage to draw attention to this. Iran expert and sports journalist Farid Ashrafian agrees. “It was the perfect platform for spreading the message of the Iranian protest movement“, he said in an interview with sportschau.de.
“A collective sign of solidarity”
For Ashrafian, there was no alternative to silence. “The national players had no choice but to send some kind of collective sign of solidarity with their own population, which is being barbarically oppressed by the mullahs’ regime“, he said: “This strong statement of not singing along with the national anthem drew a lot of attention from the international community and of course it was also noticed in Iran.”
Reaction from Iran: “Will never allow anyone to insult our anthem”
There are already individual voices calling for retaliation for the action. On Tuesday (November 22, 2022) Mehdi Chamran, Chairman of the City Council of Tehran, announced: “We will never allow anyone to insult our anthem and our flag. Iranian civilization is as old as European and American combined.”
Demand: youth team should replace national team
In addition, a member of parliament from the ruling party in Kurdistan had demanded that the players be withdrawn from the tournament and “believing and revolutionary youth” are to be replaced, who is proud to sing the anthem. The fact that this is not possible due to FIFA regulations alone did not seem to bother him.
Hard penalties also against athletes
However, the regime does not shy away from harsh penalties for celebrities. Soccer star Voria Ghafouri became very topical in Iran because of “anti-state propaganda” arrested after a training session of his team Foolad Khuzestan.
Former Iranian national and Bundesliga player Ali Karimi was also recently charged with publicly supporting the protests. According to media reports, his villa in Iran was barricaded.
Ashrafian does not expect serious sanctions
So, because of their silence, do the internationals have to worry about possible sanctions or even their families? No, Ashrafian believes.
“It was an act that looked courageous on the outside, but for which no serious reactions from the mullahs’ regime can be expected in the end.”he said and specified: “What the players can at most threaten is to be portrayed negatively by the press loyal to the regime. They will be reprimanded, perhaps their family environment will be harassed. But it is not to be expected that they will go to prison for this. They would have to be clearer about that appear in public, for example, take to the streets and chant slogans against the regime.”
Penalty for women’s basketball team?
So things could end up lightly for the national team – but that’s not always the case. A complete Iranian women’s basketball team has just been photographed without headscarves as a sign of protest. The trainer then put the picture on the social network Instagram.
It has since been removed from there. The published photo could be dangerous for the players – because they are women. And because the world public probably has little or no interest in the fate of a female basketball team in Iran – unlike at the World Cup.
Statement also for Voria Ghafouri?
But what’s next for the footballers? Ashrafian expects further action from the team – now also for the imprisoned Ghafouri. “Iranian society already expects that in the game against Wales not only a sign is set, but the team will stand up for Voria Ghafouri. For example with the demand: ‘He doesn’t belong in prison. Release him or we won’t compete'”he said.
“No choice but to make more marks”
And also against the USA (November 29, 2022, 8 p.m.), the Iran expert expects that the team will act in front of the world public. Because the solidarity with the protest movement can no longer be stopped.
“The national team has no choice but to set further signs. Otherwise, not only will the alienation process progress with the team, but they will also make themselves increasingly unpopular. They would then turn their own population into an opponent.”according to Ashrafian.
Queiroz complains about political issues
Meanwhile, Carlos Queiroz, the Portugal coach of the Iran national team, is trying to keep his players away from political issues. After a press conference, Queiroz recently confronted BBC journalist Shaimaa Khalil, who earlier asked a player a question about the protests in Iran.
Quieroz asked the journalist why she doesn’t ask other coaches political questions: “Why do you keep asking us questions like this? Why don’t you ask Southgate (Gareth Southgate, England coach, editor’s note) what he thinks about England and the US left Afghanistan,” Queiroz said before leaving the room without waiting for an answer.
“There is no turning back for the freedom movement”
Because one thing is clear, according to the journalist: “Iran’s revolutionary freedom movement has reached a level of no return”he said, predicting: “It’s difficult to pinpoint a point in time, but in the long term the regime will no longer be able to assert itself.” The Iranian national team can also do its part to ensure that this happens. And on the very big stage of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.