Extremist Group Threatens Volleyball Fans

An extremist group has warned that if female fans try to attend the volleyball match between Iran and the United States on June19, they will assist police in “making sure they don’t attend.”

On June 10, the vice president for women’s affairs, Shahindokht Molavardi, said a limited number of women would be allowed to attend, but only if they were related to one of the Iran team players and only once they had been approved by a specially-appointed committee. On June 16, the federation reiterated that women would not be permitted to buy tickets for the game, though it has clearly stated that it is against the idea of a single-sex audience and was thought to have pushed for female relatives to be included.

Iran's Volleyball Federation confirmed that women would not be allowed. A spokesperson told the Iranian Students’ News Agency (ISNA) that tickets could be purchased online and that “transportation and welfare services” relating to the game had been organized. But he added that women would not be among those attending the match at Azadi Stadium in Tehran.

Responding angrily to Molaverdi’s earlier announcement, hardliners organized a demonstration to protest against any relaxation of the ban. Some hardliners were so incensed that they held placards at the high profile funeral of a group of military divers who had lost their lives during the Iran-Iraq war, and whose bodies had recently been recovered. The signs called for people to take part in the demonstrations, one of which was due to take place outside the Ministry of Sports and Youth and at Azadi Stadium on June 19.

According to the Persian Gulf website, extremist group Ansar-e Hezbollah also spoke to people at a mosque on June 15, calling for them to protest outside Azadi Stadium on the night of the game, June 19.

During the meeting, the general secretary of Ansar-e Hezbollah, Abdolvahid Mohtasham, said: “The will of various Hezbollah groups is to gather at the door of Azadi Stadium to prevent women entering the stadium. This is because the Ministry of Interior has not announced the cancellation of this anti-religious measure. History shows that the other side could succeed if we hesitate or neglect the matter. Even if they [the authorities] change their mind at the last minute, Hezbollah forces will help the police to make sure that women will not attend the match.”

The International Volleyball Federation has repeatedly expressed its approval that women are not allowed to watch the sport in stadiums in Iran. It reminded the Iranian government that if the ban continued, the country will be prevented from hosting games at international level.

In addition to the June 19 match, Iran’s volleyball team will face the United States on June 21.

Read the article in Persian

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