Last June, Mohsen Forouzan, a goalkeeper formerly with Tehran’s Esteghlal Football Club, posted a photo on Instagram to announce his engagement to Iranian model Nasim Nahali. The photo quickly triggered reactions since Nahali was unveiled and the timing of the post coincided with the holy month of Ramadan. The Young Journalists Club, which is affiliated with Iran’s state broadcaster, immediately described it as “a matter far [removed] from Sharia and ethics.”
Almost one year later, on May 23, the Iranian Football Federation’s Ethics Committee issued a ruling to suspend Forouzan from all official soccer activities for three months. The reason for the move was described as due to “materialistic measures adopted by his wife” that “had circulated in social media networks and later in public opinion, without observing Islamic principles and ethics and thus harming the credibility of football and the good reputation of the Football Federation among the public.”
But what were the “materialistic measures” taken by Forouzan’s wife? According to the media and Iran’s soccer community, the ruling referred to her “modeling activities.” Born in 1989, Nahali is a model for wedding dresses and various manteau, long coats commonly worn by Iranian women outside their homes. Like most Iranian models, Nahali often posted pictures of herself on Instagram. However, according to the Young Journalists Club, “Some of her pictures on social media did not observe the appropriate dress code [in Iran],” which is why her spouse was apparently suspended.
The suspension not only sparked objections on social media, but also prompted sports journalists, legal experts and the managers of several soccer clubs to voice criticism. In an Instagram post addressed to Mehdi Taj, the president of Iran’s Football Federation, former Persepolis Football Club and Bayern Munich player Ali Karimi wrote, “A few questions! Sir, do these rulings also include the football players’ families? Is it legal to communicate this ruling with a single signature? Thank God I have retired.”
AL-MONITOR All-Access gives you unlimited access to all our journalism, the full Daily Briefing, exclusive interviews, premium newsletters, and live events — for less than $2/week.
