An Iranian goalkeeper received a fine and a one-match suspension after hugging a female fan, who was being chased by security for not wearing the mandatory hijab.
Hossein Hosseini, goalkeeper of Esteghlal, one of the best teams in Iran, has been reprimanded by the Iranian football federation after hugging a fan who had gone to the side of the field.
Hijabs, or headscarves, have been mandatory for women in Iran since the 1979 revolution, imposing what many Muslim women around the world consider a matter of choice.
The images show the moment the fan entered the field with her hair exposed after her hijab fell off, where she was approached by security.
Hosseini can then be seen approaching and appeared to gesture for security to move away as there was no danger and hugged the fan.
Hossein Hosseini (center) would have been suspended for one game for hugging a fan.
Footage showed the goalkeeper hugging a fan whose hijab had fallen from her head.
Hosseini’s actions sparked a fight on the field and additional security rushed to the scene.
However, more security guards rushed to the scene, pulled Hosseini away from the fan and escorted him off the field as a small fight broke out.
Fans in the stands appeared to throw objects at security as Hosseini was escorted and appeared to applaud the fan and Hosseini as he was escorted off the field.
Spectators continued to apparently make angry gestures and allegedly chanted “shame on you” at security guards as they remained on the field, according to reports.
After Hosseini was sent off the field, several Esteghlal teammates approached the scene, one of whom handed his shirt to the fan.
The fan then ran to a corner of the field that appeared to be predominantly made up of female fans, twirling the jersey above her head in celebration as the rest of the stadium cheered her back to her seat as she put her hijab back on.
According to Iranian publication Khabar Varzeshi, Hosseini, who has played 11 times for the national team, was fined around £3,800 and given a one-match suspension for his actions, which were allegedly considered “unprofessional and beyond the call of duty.” of a player’.
The Esteghlal captain then reportedly made a public comment after being called to the federation’s disciplinary committee to explain himself, allegedly saying: “I will pay the fine, for that lady’s sake.”
However, reports suggest that these comments were not well received, and IRNA (Iran’s official news agency) reported that Hosseini could face further sanctions as a result of his public comments.
One of Hosseini’s teammates gave his jersey to the fan before she ran into the stands in a section that was apparently only made up of female fans.
Sahar Khodayari, 30, died in September 2019, a week after setting herself on fire to protest against a ban on women at soccer matches in Iran.
Khodayari was arrested trying to sneak into a football match dressed as a man in March 2019, before setting herself on fire outside this courtroom when she learned she could be sentenced to six months in jail.
Activists had been calling on Iran to completely remove the ban on women attending the games, which had been in place since the 1979 Islamic revolution (file image)
The report further states that the decision to punish Hosseini is believed to violate “existing regulations”, as there is no specific law against his actions, other than violating Islamic rules on physical contact between opposite sexes.
Iran’s football federation has frequently been pressured by FIFA to allow female fans into stadiums, with a landmark move in 2019 allowing their attendance despite reported resistance to these changes.
Before the decision, a female fan set herself on fire after learning she could be sentenced to six months in prison for attempting to enter a stadium disguised as a male fan for a match between Esteghlal and Al Ain of the United Arab Emirates.
After being released from Gharchak Prison after a two-day stay, Sahar Khodayari set herself on fire and suffered burns to 90 percent of her body, before being transferred to a hospital in Tehran, where she died in September 2019.
Khodayari is known by many as ‘The Blue Girl’ in reference to her desire to show her support for the same team Hosseini plays for, Esteghlal, who plays in blue.
13 days after her death, FIFA president Gianni Infantino announced that Iran would allow female fans into the stadium to watch a 2022 World Cup qualifying match against Cambodia.
Ahead of the 2022 World Cup, Mahsa Amini died in police custody after she was violently arrested and reportedly beaten by Iran’s notorious morality police for not wearing a hijab.
In Iran’s tough opening loss to England, Iran’s starting eleven remained silent as the country’s national anthem played.
The players’ silence was a sign of protest over the alleged murder of 22-year-old Amini.
Islamic Republic officials told local media that Amini suffered a heart attack while being detained by morality police, denying reports that she had been beaten.
‘They killed my angel,’ his mother told him. BBC Persian service. He said his daughter was healthy and without any problems.
A statement from Tehran police confirmed that she had been detained for “explanations and instructions” on dress code, along with other women.
Mahsa Amini dies after being detained by the moral police for her appearance. She was visiting the Iranian capital with her family.
The images show her sitting among other arrested girls. She faints after a morality police officer points out her headscarf.
‘He suddenly suffered a heart problem while in the company of other guided people. [and]…he was immediately taken to hospital with the cooperation of police and emergency services.’
In early 2022, a young Iranian woman, Sepideh Rashno, disappeared in mid-July after being involved in a dispute on a Tehran bus with another woman who accused her of removing her veil.
She was detained by the Revolutionary Guard and appeared on television in what activists said was a forced confession.
He was released on bail at the end of August, after about a month and a half behind bars.