The president of the world’s largest international soccer organization, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), issued a message of condolence on Monday following the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi.
Raisi, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdullahian, and several other Iranian officials died on Sunday when the helicopter carrying them from Azerbaijan crashed in bad weather. Raisi has served as Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei’s second-in-command since 2021, leading a violent crackdown on pro-democracy protesters and women’s rights activists that the United Nations estimates has left more than 550 people dead.
Among the many human rights violations that occurred during Raisi’s tenure was the suppression of female soccer fans. For decades, they were banned from watching soccer games, but recently they have been allowed to watch in small groups in stadiums, separated from men. This issue has been a major point of contention with FIFA. FIFA is making the most of the rights of female fans. profit By attracting as many sports enthusiasts to the match as possible.
In a temporary Instagram Story post, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said: Expressed He said Raisi’s death was a “great tragedy.”
“We met in New York last year and discussed ways to promote soccer on the IR. [Islamic Republic of] Iran,” Infantino recalled. “Our deepest condolences go to the people of IR Iran during this difficult time.”
Although Instagram Stories disappear after 24 hours, Iranian state media saved images of the posts and shared them widely.
FIFA chief Gianni Infantino expressed his condolences on the martyrdom of the Iranian president. Raishi.#People’s President pic.twitter.com/75WlqO9TCe
— Press TV 🔻 (@PressTV) May 20, 2024
Iran participates in FIFA through its national football federation, the Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI), and Infantino met Raisi in September as part of a larger meeting of FFIRI officials.
Iran’s appointing authority, FIFA president Ebrahim Raisi, Gianni Infantino, and Margen of Naciones Unidas General de la Assembrea in Nueva York. pic.twitter.com/GpjcGDw7z6
— Islamic Republic of Iran Govierno (@Irangov_ES) September 20, 2023
According to FIFA press statement As for the meeting at the time – held in New York during the UN General Assembly’s annual debate – Infantino met with Raisi and his aides to persuade the Iranian government to stop repressing female football fans.
“Discussion cent.[e]FIFA narrated that “the conversation centered on the topic of women’s football and the presence of women in the country’s football stadiums,” adding, “Mr. Infantino thanked the president for the progress made so far and encouraged the country to do more.” I encouraged them to continue.”
FIFA said that under Raisi’s “moderate” predecessor Hassan Rouhani, Iran had allowed limited entry of women into Tehran’s Azadi Stadium to watch soccer matches, and that He pointed out that this was the “first time in 40 years” that something like this had happened. Iran has issued similar permits to women to attend small-scale soccer matches, but access to soccer remains extremely limited for women.
“For the past four decades, Iranian authorities have prohibited girls and women from watching soccer and other sports in stadiums,” Human Rights Watch said. explained During December. “Although the ban is not a law, authorities regularly enforced the ban, citing a lack of adequate infrastructure to segregate men and women. Arrests, beatings, detentions, and abuses have occurred.”
Human Rights Watch recalled the 2019 incident in which a female soccer fan self-immolated after being arrested and sentenced to prison while trying to attend a soccer match. Some female soccer fans even wear fake beards and sneak into matches pretending to be men.
During his meeting with Raisi, Infantino “praised Iran’s recent progress in women’s football” and expressed interest in visiting Iran.
“I have already stated that I intend to visit Iran in the near future to discuss football-related issues, and I have confirmed this intention to President Raisi,” Infantino said, according to the newspaper. FIFA“IR Iran is a huge force in Asian football and it is important to me that we continue to foster the positive and fruitful cooperation that we have built.”
FIFA has a long history history Qatar faced some of the fiercest criticism around the world for its decision to allow the repressive Islamic emirate to host the 2022 World Cup, although it was accused of ignoring human rights abuses by participating countries. Years of human rights investigations have revealed widespread slavery and abusive working conditions in the construction of the tournament’s facilities, and Qatari authorities have accused their country of facing racial discrimination. . Ultimately, Qatari authorities admitted that at least 500 people had died in connection with the construction of the World Cup venue.
The Qatar World Cup also sparked concern among LGBT soccer fans as the Islamic State violently cracked down on people suspected of being gay. During the event, security officials were quick to attack fans who saw what appeared to be LGBT symbols, leading to an incident in which a police officer accidentally trampled the flag of Brazil’s Pernambuco state, which featured a rainbow.
Infantino has fiercely defended Qatar against its critics, declaring that Europeans will have to apologise for the next 3,000 years before offering a moral lesson to Islamists.
“Of course I am not Qatari, Arab, African, gay, disabled or a migrant worker. But I feel the same as them because I know what it means to be discriminated against and bullied as a foreigner in a foreign country,” Infantino declared in a statement defending the Qatar World Cup. “I feel strong today. Today I feel Qatari, Arab, African, gay, disabled and a migrant worker.”
In November, Saudi Arabia won official hosting duties for the 2034 World Cup.
