Iranian Athletes at the FIFA World Cup 2022 Didn’t Sing the National Anthem: This Is Why They Rejected
The Iranian soccer team players chose not to sign the national anthem during their opening 2022 World Cup game against England on Monday.
England defeated the Melli’s 6-2 in a Group B game at Khalifa International Stadium courtesy of goals from Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford, Raheem Sterling, and Jack Grealish. Porto striker Mehdi Taremi scored Iran’s both goals during the game.
The Three Lions completely dominated the game, enjoying 79 percent of ball possession. They registered seven shots on target, as compared to Iran’s three.
The Iranian football team players refused to sign the national anthem during their 2022 World Cup game due to solidarity with protesters back home. As Iran’s national anthem played during the game, cameras showed players standing still, rather than signing.
The people of Iran are currently protesting against the regime after human rights activist Mahsa Amini’s death in police custody in September. She was arrested for breaching the ‘dress code’ for women.
Women first started the protest but it quickly got mass traction. According to a report by Hrana English, 419 people, including 60 children, died in protest since September. The government has also arrested 17451 individuals to stop them from gathering.
We must accept that conditions in our country are not right and our people are not happy… My people are sad and our presence here does not mean that we cannot be a voice for them or should not respect them.”
Several football players have also changed their social media profile pictures to black space. Their move is getting praise from people from across the globe. Many fans had come to the stadium to show solidarity for the protest rather than to cheer the team.
Three 2022 World Cup matches are scheduled to take place on November 22, 2022.
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