Iranians in a Grotesque Situation
The Iranian national football team and the World Cup, which always created unity and excitement among Iranians of all beliefs, this year and this time, on the contrary, has created a divided situation among Iranians.
Mohammad Fazeli, a sociologist whose statements were widely seen and heard in recent debates on state TV due to the protests, tweeted after Iran’s victory over Wales, expressing concern for the people who have turned against each other, blaming the current rulers. He wrote, ‘It’s unclear when and how the wounds of these divisions will bleed or heal, but the culprits are clear: you and your actions. Why don’t you learn?’
This situation or feeling, which was greatly intensified after the 6-0 loss to England, was somewhat alleviated after Iran’s victory in the second match against Wales, with efforts to create the sense and belief that the national team belongs to the people.
It belongs to Iran, not the power structure. The idea that football is a shared national heritage and not the monopoly or property of any individual, group, or faction is the foundation that, after the dust of political and social conflicts settles, guarantees the continuity of our social life and that of future generations in this land.
Caught Between Grief and Joy
However, the situation for most of those who are or were into football these days is a mix of opposites. Their state is caught between support and indifference, wandering between grief, loneliness, hardship, and joy. A reformist political activist wrote, ‘Our joy is incomplete, meaning I wasn’t happy, but I was. During the game, I wanted us to win. They scored, and I was happy, but not like always. An hour after the game, the same pre-game feeling returns upon hearing the news of the Zahedan casualties. Two goals, let alone ten, cannot replace the sorrow and regret of even one lost life.’
Another wrote, ‘This fleeting happiness is not comparable to the joy and pride our neighbors in Qatar have, nor to our own joy four years ago against Portugal. I’m not being stubborn, it’s not an act, it’s not getting carried away. I don’t think it’s forced, because it isn’t.’
The charm of football lies in its communal nature, whether playing it, watching it, or experiencing its joys and sorrows. Today, part of the population has boycotted football, and they are in a bad state. That’s why it doesn’t stick; the opium of football, even in this bad state, has only a momentary effect.
Mehdi Yazdani Khorram, a writer and journalist, wrote, ‘We are heirs to simultaneous grief and joy. We laugh in the peak of pain, we suffer in the peak of joy. We are tough-skinned. In today’s goals, precisely at the moment the ball crossed the net in this match on the fourth of Azar, I cried from the depths of my soul. I saw spirits whose wounds were still bleeding, yet they were crying. I wanted to be an open embrace for all of Iran. What has happened to us? Why are the secrets of my land so contradictory?’
Grotesque Riot Forces
Grotesque in dramatic literature has a concept similar to black humor, a hesitation between laughing and being horrified, being indecisive between the ridiculous and the dark content. We witness this grotesque state these days, and after Iran’s win over Wales, it became more evident where images of riot forces celebrating with dancing, distributing sweets, honking horns, waving flags, spraying colors, and playing joyful music and light shows from inside riot control vehicles were shared here and there.
The disbelief of the audience in this situation is visible throughout social media. A situation that some describe as highly surreal, an apocalyptic scenario. ‘We didn’t die, and we saw these days too,’ they say. A Twitter user, sharing a picture of a few chocolates in their hand, wrote, ‘If the dose of surrealism and the mix of opposites in the atmosphere is still low for you, let me add that tonight I got chocolates from the special unit, the same unit that on other days served and benefited me and others in various ways.’
Grotesque Voria
This grotesque has other angles too. The national team entered the World Cup while some former and prominent national team footballers have become known figures among the protesters these days, from Ali Karimi to Ali Daei. But more importantly, the news of Voria Ghafouri’s arrest right the night before the Iran-Wales match, who had said that where social concerns are involved, football is a secondary priority for him. Someone wrote, ‘I wish they would leave Voria alone for today’s game, who has penetrated hearts beyond football, perhaps hearts would soften a bit.’
Mehdi Tadini, a translator and researcher in the field of politics, regarding why Voria is dear, refers to Voria’s statements in an interview where he said that when people’s pain is widespread, sports is no longer a priority. Tadini writes, ‘Yes, Voria is great and respectable because he clearly and explicitly states this formulation. This good boy from Kurdistan has taught us a lesson, a clear manifesto of an athlete who does not separate his professional life from his social life. Adhering to ethical principles has a cost.’
Voria Ghafouri was arrested on charges of insulting the national team, despite experts saying firstly, such criminalization does not exist in our laws to justify an arrest, and secondly, if insulting and undermining the national team is a crime, why has no one taken action against Hassan Abbasi?
Hassan Abbasi has not only insulted the national team but has also used shameless adjectives to insult the entire country’s footballers. Why has no one filed a complaint against him? Ironically, Abbasi’s act of insulting a specific group and describing them with unfavorable adjectives has been criminalized in the law.