Women would not be allowed to attend matches: Iran’s prosecutor general

Iran’s prosecutor general Mohammad Jafar Montazeri on Wednesday said that women in the country will no longer be allowed to watch football matches inside stadiums as it would “lead to sins.”

In a landmark decision, around 100 women were allowed to watch Iran’s home match against Bolivia at the national stadium. But according to the statement of Montazeri that won’t be allowed again.

I object to the presence of women in Azadi Stadium yesterday,” Montazeri was quoted as saying by AFP. We are a Muslim state, we are Muslims.”

We will deal with any official who wants to allow women inside stadiums under any pretext,” he added.

“When a woman goes to the stadium and is faced with half-naked men in sports clothes and sees them it will lead to sin.”

The Muslim republic state had barred women from attending matches at the stadium since 1979, with the religious leaders claiming that Iranian women must be protected from seeing semi-clas men and from a men-dominated atmosphere. The touch or push between the men and women while entering or leaving the stadium has also been pointed out as something that would lead to sin.

But with the women entering the stadiums for the first time in decades to watch their team play against Bolivia, it was also reported that the women might be allowed to watch the return match of the Champions League semi-finals slated to be held on November 23.

Prosecutor general Montazeri though has warned the officials from allowing the females to enter the stadium. “If this is repeated I will order the Tehran prosecutor to act,” he said.

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