New Delhi: Iranian national basketball team Friday refused to sing their national anthem during the qualifier matches for FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 in Tehran, allegedly in line with the protests in the country over the hijab.
The match was against China, the Iranian team lost.
The protests in Iran began after the death of Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini in the custody of the ‘morality police’. Amini was arrested for allegedly wearing an “improper” hijab. Following her death, protests have been led by women against Iran’s strict hijab rules, resulting in a major challenge for the ruling Islamic regime.
Norway-based Iran Human Rights NGO group claimed that over 300 people have been killed so far in the ongoing protests. The numbers are difficult to verify as all non-state media and other communication has been suppressed in the country.
Protests by the basketball team come days after similar actions by the men’s national water polo team in Thailand. It happened Tuesday during a match against India at the Asian Championship.
Last Sunday, before the finals of the Emirates Intercontinental Beach Soccer Cup started, the Iranian players did not sing as the national anthem was played.
Saeed Piramoon of Iran, who scored the winning goal against Brazil, celebrated by imitating cutting his hair — women in Iran and across the world have been cutting their hair in support of the protests.
However the Iranian football authorities vowed to “deal” with players who engaged in the protests.
In the same week Thursday, Iranian archer Parida Ghasemi removed her hijab in protest during an awards ceremony in Iran’s capital — Tehran. In a video that went viral, people can be heard clapping and cheering Ghasemi’s actions.
But in an Instagram post Saturday, the archer said the hijab fell off due to the wind and it was not a sign of protest. She said she did not have “any problem with the hijab”.
Last month, Iranian climber Elnaz Rekabi had competed without a headscarf and was applauded. She too later said that she had done so unintentionally and apologised.
Human rights groups say that it could be forced confession, pointing at Iran’s track record for them.
(Edited by Theres Sudeep)
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