The controversy of women attending sports matches in Iran has been ongoing for some time now. Last month the International Volleyball Federation announced preventing women from attending sports stadiums and depriving them from watching matches is against the charter of the Olympic Games.
Prior to this, Shahindokht Molavardai, Iran vice president in women and family affairs had said on June 1 that the transcript of women entering volleyball matches has been signed by representatives of the State Security Forces, Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Sports, adding it has to be announced by the Minister of Sports and Youths Affairs. However, this issue immediately raised harsh responses from ruling hardliners.
Consequently, on the afternoon of Friday, June 12 a group against allowing women into stadiums staged a rally in Tehran. They held placards and posters written, “We express our abhorrence about the immoral presence of women in men’s sports stadiums”.
In response, a number of clerics wrote a letter to Iran supreme leader Ali Khamenei on June 13 demanding women be banned from entering stadiums. Interior Minister Rahmani Fazli officially declared on June 15 there is no change in the ban imposed on women attending stadiums.
Finally, on Friday, June 19 women and girls were barred from entering Tehran’s Azadi Stadium during the World Volleyball League games. State agents resorted to harsh measures against Iranian women and domestic and foreign female reporters, even attacking and beating them.