FIFA World Cup 2022: Why did the Iranian players not sing their national anthem before the match?
Iranian players refuse to sing their national them before the match with England in FIFA WC
FIFA World Cup 2022 is already inundated with controversies, and the Iran versus England match on the day 2 of the megaevent was no exception. The Iranian Team apparently declined to sing their national anthem before their World Cup match against England. All of the starting 11 players stood there silently as the anthem was being played at the Khalifa International Stadium. Even Iranian fans in the crowd seemed to be appreciating their gesture, who kept chanting "Woman, Life, Freedom". State TV in Iran urgently interrupted its anthem coverage and switched to a previously shown wide shot of the stadium.
Why did the Iranian team not sing their national anthem?
Apparently, the Iranian team didn’t sing their national anthem to express their support for the ongoing anti-governmental civilian protests back at home. So far, around 400 people have been killed in the protests while around 17,000 people have been arrested by the authorities in a nationwide crackdown. Iran's captain Ehsan Hajsafi stated before the game that the team "support" those who have been killed by the authorities. Previously, critics of the Iranian government had levelled allegations that the Iranian football team was supporting the ruthless Iranian government, which also met President Ebrahim Raisi last week.
Why is Iran witnessing massive civilian uprising?
The protests sparked in September, when Iran’s so-called morality police killed a 22-year-old woman named Mahsa Amini for allegedly breaking the rules over head covering. Many experts believe that the protests are among the biggest challenges faced by the Iranian theocratic government since the Iranian revolution of 1979.
Also Read: WATCH: Iran players refuse to sing national anthem ahead of England clash in FIFA World Cup 2022
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What the Iranian government says?
The Iranian government is simply blaming foreign enemies for the massive protests that have engulfed the nation for over 2 months. Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei recently warned that "Until this hour, thank God, the enemies have been defeated. But the enemies have a new trick every day, and with today's defeat, they may target different classes such as workers and women.”
What lies ahead for the Iranian team?
More protests are expected to be held by the Iranian football team. The manager of the Iranian team, Carlos Queiroz has already said his players were "free to protest" over women's rights in their home country as long as it "conforms with the World Cup regulations and is in the spirit of the game".