Iranian women win big in fight over right to watch soccer games
Iranian women were allowed into Azadi stadium to watch a soccer game alongside men for the first time since the 1979 revolution.
After 40 years and some last-minute power plays and wrangling between President Hassan Rouhani's administration and conservatives in the police force, Iranian women were allowed to enter Tehran's Azadi stadium to watch a televised World Cup match, between Iran and Spain, alongside men.
According to Iranian journalists, approximately 10,000 tickets were sold to the screening of Iran’s second match in this year's tournament. The stadium seats more than 100,000. June 20 was to be a historic date, given that it would be the first time under the Islamic Republic that men and women would be allowed to watch the game together.
When ticket holders arrived at the stadium, they were greeted by members of the police force blocking their entry. Some returned home, while others staged a sit-in outside the stadium in front of the police. Many began posting pictures and videos online. At this point, Rouhani became directly involved, issuing a presidential order instructing the Interior Ministry to order the police to allow all ticket holders to enter the stadium.
It is not clear who had commanded the police forces to block entry. Iran’s police commander is selected by the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The president, who chooses the interior minister, has a certain amount of discretion as well.
