Əlirza Quluncu (Alirza Quluncu) - October 18, 2019
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| Lawyer Mehri Jafari |
In Iran, women were able to enter a stadium for the first time on October 10 [2019] to watch the Iran-Cambodia match as part of the World Cup qualifying tournament.
Lawyer Mehri Jafari described this as a significant achievement in the struggle for women's equal rights in an interview with Voice of America.
"I see this as a great success. Many people might ask why this should be considered a success. Women in Iran face much bigger issues. There are greater forms of discrimination. In many matters like testimony, inheritance, and ‘diya’ (blood money), a woman's right is clearly half that of a man's. But why is going to the stadium so important for women? Why does it bring them so much joy?" Mehri Jafari questions.
She emphasizes that having the doors of a public space closed to women is a huge insult:
"The joy comes from a fundamental reason: that the door of a public place has been shut to you, and you are told that you cannot enter because of your gender. It's similar to the situation in America where a Black woman had to give up her seat on a bus for white people. Why? Because you are Black."
The lawyer says, "This is a very painful issue we are discussing. Within Iran, there are so many layers of discrimination that women have become accustomed to it. We have so many problems that we consider this small. But if you look deeper into its meaning, you will see that it is an even greater insult to say that because you are a woman, you must give up your place to a male citizen! This is like a wound."
According to her, "In Iran, women are treated as second-class citizens. That is, they (men) can give something to a woman or take it from her if they wish. A woman is not equal to them. They make the decisions. Women are not part of the decision-making process."
"They prioritize our fundamental rights. They say, 'Do not want this, but want that.' These are our basic rights. You cannot say, for instance, that water is important, or bread, or that your freedom is important. They can close the door and keep you inside. Water and bread are not more important than that. Stay inside; you won’t die of hunger," Mehri Jafari states.
In June, FIFA President Gianni Infantino sent a letter to the Iranian Football Federation (FFIRI) stating that the country must take "concrete steps" to allow women to attend stadiums or face sanctions.
Jafari believes that "FIFA could have pressured Iran about this issue much earlier:
"This matter was not discussed much. When it became public, the world looked and said, ‘So, the situation for women in Iran is such that they cannot even go to the stadium.’ Why can women in other Muslim countries go? There was a form of disgrace. FIFA could have pressured Iran earlier and made this news come out. When the news broke, they were forced to react and change something to get the matter out of the headlines."
She highlights the incident involving "Blue Girl," which made women's right to enter stadiums a priority.
Sahar Khodayari, known as "Blue Girl" in Iranian and world media, was arrested while trying to enter the stadium in male clothing. After being sentenced to six months in prison, Sahar Khodayari committed suicide, ending her life. She passed away in the hospital at the age of 29 on September 8.
"The pressure from FIFA was effective. It was effective because Iran was afraid of the news. The action of Blue Girl highlighted the oppression of women. It showed that this issue is also a priority."
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