June 01, 2018
At a meeting with a group of athletes late last month, Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani said: “We should be happy about the presence of girls in sports. I don’t understand those who believe that to protect the sanctity of the public, we must restrict the presence of women in our society, streets, universities, schools, hospitals, and sports.”
Also speaking at the gathering were the Iranian female Wushu champion Elahe Mansourian; Mehdi Zamani, a member of the Paralympics shooting team; and Futsal player Fereshteh Karimi.
“We owe everything to the relentless efforts and sacrifices of our mothers who have nurtured and raised us,” Mr. Rouhani noted. “If we aim to introduce the world to Islam, then isn’t it better to allow our girls to participate in athletic events while upholding Islamic values instead of banning them completely from sports competitions? Isn’t this a better way to promote Islam? Islam has never said that women should remain at home. Quite the contrary, it has always urged women to participate in all aspects of life.”
“How could banning female fans from attending matches at sports stadiums be good publicity for Islam? They argue that it is inappropriate for women to attend football matches because men tend to curse and swear at these games. Why should women be penalized for men’s bad behavior?” Rouhani noted. “Islam doesn’t discriminate between men and women. It urges both to excel in all aspects of life. So, we must allow women to take part in all sports.”
Rouhani added: “Why should anyone object to the TV broadcast of women’s sports competitions, especially when our female athletes do their utmost to honor their country?”
He told the athletes: “As the representative of the people, my government and I stand with you. And I hope you stand with the people.”
