If the president were not a conservative, the shrouded protesters would be shouting ‘Oh Islam!’ right now.
Mostafa Danandeh, a journalist, in a note on Asr Iran, addressed the presence of Iranian women in stadiums. In part of this note, he wrote:
Government officials say that they have allowed Iranian women to attend stadiums without FIFA’s pressure, which, to be honest, we don’t believe. If it weren’t for FIFA’s pressures, especially at times when the head of the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice Headquarters is seeking to segregate universities, the presence of women in football stadiums would still be a dream. Besides FIFA’s pressure, we must acknowledge that President Raisi also played a significant role in this decision. Imagine if Hassan Rouhani, Seyyed Mohammad Khatami, Mohammad Reza Aref, or any non-conservative were the president of Iran and FIFA made such a request, and the government was trying to create conditions for women to go to stadiums every week. Certainly, right now, shrouded protesters would appear in Mashhad and some other cities, shouting ‘Oh Islam!’ But ultimately, it matters who is president. History has shown that with a change in the president and parliament, conditions can change 180 degrees.
