As the FIFA World Cup 2022 has kicked off in Qatar, so have the controversies surrounding the global football tournament. The most recent controversy revolves around the football team of Iran, who made a strong display on the football field.
Ahead of a football match between their country and England in the Khalifa International Stadium, the Iran national football team decided to defy the regime and not sing the national anthem of their country when it was played, standing in stoic silence.
The entire football team of Iran was standing in silence as the Iranian national anthem played, with the audience in the bleachers yelling at the team to show patriotism towards their country. meanwhile, the football team continued to maintain their stance and protest against the national anthem.
After this strong show of solidarity by the Iran national football team, they revealed that they chose not to sing the national anthem to stand in support of the protestors in the country, most of whom have been arrested by the authorities.
Protests sparked in Iran around two months ago against the hijab norms in the country, when a girl named Mahsa Amini died in the custody of the morality police. Amini had been taken into custody for violating the hijab rules and was reported dead under mysterious circumstances.
Ehsan Hajsafi, the captain of the Iran football team, said during a press conference, “We have to accept that conditions in our country are not right and our people are not happy. They should know that we are with them. And we support them. And we sympathize with them regarding the conditions.”
Through their bold display of solidarity with the protestors in Iran, it is likely that the team will lose fans back home in the middle of the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar.
The FIFA World Cup has also been embroiled in controversy over an invitation to Indian fugitive Zakir Naik, and the strict norms imposed on the female audience when it comes to clothing.
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