Before the World Cup match against England, the national team of Iran sends a signal against the regime in their home country. The fans are also joining in, and Iranian television is shutting down.
The players of the Iranian national team sent a sign of solidarity with the protest movement in their home country in the run-up to their World Cup opening game against England (2:6). As the national anthem was played, the players remained silent, sending a silent message of support back to their home country.
In a friendly against Senegal in September, the majority of players refrained from singing the anthem. The team also wore black jackets to hide national symbols.
Since the Iranian basketball players, water polo players and sitting volleyball players had recently refused to sing along to the anthem, journalists from Iran had expected exactly this sign from the team.
Iranian television interrupts transmission
The Iranian state broadcaster interrupted the live broadcast at the anthem. The players could now face consequences. There had been speculation in Iran that they might be banned if they remained silent at the anthem.
Before the game, individual fans had also expressed their support for the protests in Iran. Around and in the Khalifa International Stadium, supporters with Iranian jerseys and the inscription “Women, Life, Freedom” could be seen again and again. According to a report by the New York Times, however, there were also cases in which protesting fans were denied entry to the stadium. Accordingly, Iranian supporters with Persian flags or other anti-Iran messages were turned away at the entrance.
First expression of solidarity already at the PK
Iran’s national team captain Ehsan Hajisafi had already expressed his solidarity with the protests in his home country at the press conference and thus sent a first signal. “In the Name of the God of the Rainbow”, he said and then addressed a few words directly to the grieving families in Iran.
“They should all know that we are with them and support them. We suffer with them.” The god of the rainbow has become a symbol in Iran for Kian Pirfalak, who was shot dead by regime forces.
Iran coach Carlos Queiroz, meanwhile, asked after the game not to constantly confront his team with the protests in Iran. “Moralists and teachers, let the kids play the game. They just want to play the game,” he said. It is not correct to ask national players for things “that they cannot do”. The Iranian team is in Qatar “to give the people at home pride and joy”.
Protests have been going on for more than two months
Since the Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini was arrested by the so-called vice police on September 16 for wearing a headscarf (“hijab”) incorrectly and later died in hospital, there have been protests in many Iranian cities, and the regime’s forces are cracking down on her with great severity people before.
The non-governmental organization Iran Human Rights counted 379 dead as of November 19, including 47 children and 27 women. The organization assumes that the actual number is higher. On Sunday there was also the sixth death sentence since the protests began.