Narges Rezaie / Anadolu Agency - February 5, 2025
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| The supporters of Tractor Azerbaijan |
Following the "racist" chants against Turkish people during the recent match between Persepolis and Tractor teams, which sparked widespread reactions and led to a warning in the Iranian parliament yesterday, Ali Jafari Azar, the representative of Tabriz in the parliament, explicitly criticized the "various forms of rudeness, immorality, disorder, and racial and ethnic insults by some fans and certain officials of the host team and event organizers at Azadi Stadium in Tehran." He added that the matter is being examined from a legal perspective, and discussions about escalating it to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and FIFA are underway if domestic authorities and the Iranian Football Federation fail to address it. Anadolu evaluated this issue from a social perspective.
In this context, Dr. Mostafa Eghlima, a social pathologist and the president of the Iranian Social Work Scientific Association, in an exclusive interview with Anadolu's reporter, described the racial and ethnic insults and racist chants in the country's stadiums as a "disaster" and warned about its consequences.
He emphasized that "racial and ethnic insults have increased in the country, and racist chants in stadiums are a disaster," stating that "from religion to culture and language, racism has taken root, and when the foundation of a country creates differences among people, the issue spreads on a larger scale."
Eghlima continued: "One of the worst issues in a society is separating races. Distinguishing between ethnicities creates distance between people. The problem stems from the wrong policies of the country, which make distinctions between ethnicities. Today, people in society insult each other easily and even accuse others. Moreover, someone feels entitled to intervene in public affairs and ask, 'Why aren't you wearing a hijab?'"
“They have pointed fingers at all aspects of human life and divided people”
This social pathologist in Iran stated: "They have pointed fingers at all aspects of human life and divided people. From how they walk, dress, and present themselves to how they speak, policies have been made that have led the country to a disastrous point."
Eghlima added: "Our country is composed of various ethnic groups. When one ethnicity is elevated and another is brought down, it means they have created a division between them, which leads to conflict. Every ethnicity is proud of its identity, and when you compare it with others, you essentially separate them from each other, and this is where the disaster begins in a country, as we are witnessing today."
He believes that, alongside racial and ethnic insults, hatred is also spreading on a larger scale, encompassing both Iran's own ethnic groups and neighboring countries, with hatred against ethnicities inside the country and its neighbors reaching a dangerous level, which is very concerning.
“Hatred against ethnic groups in the country has reached a dangerous level”
Eghlima emphasized that hatred is a consequence, not a cause, stating: "Hatred has increased in our country, and when we look at its reasons, we see that every issue has been turned into an ethnic one. In fact, it can be said that hatred in the country is political."
He continued: "In recent decades, the country's officials have always made ethnic issues a political tool to cover up other problems, and because meritocracy in management has not been a priority, everyone, in order to keep their positions, has eliminated those with opposing views, which created groupings. Today, hatred against ethnicities inside the country and neighboring nations is a result of these divisions over the years and the politicization of ethnic issues."
Eghlima clarified: "They create divisions among people to provoke conflict and achieve their own goals. In our country, hatred has caused people to become distanced from each other. After the revolution, distinctions were made between ethnic groups, and some groups were elevated while others were marginalized. Even in offices, people have been divided, and this division between people increases problems."
This social pathologist continued: "On the other hand, when we look at the infrastructure, we see that this has been happening over the past 40 years, and it is not something that happened overnight. Solving the problem will take 40 years to change people's way of thinking and guide them toward abandoning the belief that they are different from one another."
“Hatred in Iran goes back to the country’s general policies”
He pointed out: "Certain things have been ingrained in society, especially against Turks, to the extent that even in the context of marriage, these issues are raised, which creates a negative feeling."
Eghlima stressed: "Whenever social problems increase in society, it is a result of the planning and agendas that the government has implemented in cultural, social, economic, and political affairs. Hatred in society goes back to the overall policies of the officials, and this issue has hindered the country's growth and progress. This is because people became divided, and no work was accomplished."
This social pathologist continued: "With the increase of hatred, society regressed. The only thing that leads to progress is the friendship among people in society and the absence of discrimination. In a country where people treat each other well, you can see how much peace there is."
“Today, they have launched a wave of hatred against Afghan migrants”
The president of the Iranian Social Work Scientific Association further elaborated on the dimensions of hatred in the country by referencing the recent campaign against Afghan migrants in Iran and the treatment they receive, stating: "Now in the country, a wave of hatred against Afghan migrants has been launched, creating fear in society with claims that Afghans are doing this or that. If they commit a wrongdoing, we will do the same. They don’t even have insurance and can’t even visit a doctor."
Eghlima added: "Alongside hatred, ethnic jokes are used to mock and belittle individuals. In every advanced country, if you make a statement that humiliates someone, there are severe legal consequences. But in our country, this is not the case. Anyone can be ridiculed, even when applying for a job."
He continued: "When you want to be hired in a department, the first question they ask is, 'Were you in the Basij (militia)?' The Basij is a group, and they say if you weren’t a Basiji, you won’t be hired. They create distinctions between groups, which leads to conflict among people. It should be noted that it is the governments that, through their actions, cause people to be attracted or repelled."
The link to the original article in Farsi on Anadolu Agency:
آسیبشناس اجتماعی: افزایش شعارهای نژادپرستانه در ورزشگاههای ایران به سیاستهای کلی بر میگردد