Iranian Women Disguise as Men to Watch Football Match at Azadi Stadium as Country's Regressive Law Continues

They wanted to watch the match but only men are allowed, so they dressed up as men. This is what five Iranian women did to watch a football match in Azadi stadium. According to the strict Islamic laws of the country, women are banned from attending football matches. According to the law passed in the 1979 Islamic revolution, women are not allowed to go to stadiums to protect them from the 'vulgar' atmosphere.

The incident comes after 35 women tried to attend a match between Persepolis and Esteghlal at the same stadium. While earlier reports suggested the women were arrested, later the government officials said that they were only 'held'. According to a ministry spokesman, the women were transferred to a 'proper place'.

In a similar incident, last year, a group of women disguised themselves and attempted to enter the Azadi Stadium during a soccer match, but were detained. Alireza Adeli, head of security for the Tehran municipality told Daily Mail that it was not the first time women tried to enter the stadium.

Watch the video here:

With beards and moustaches, the women passed the security check:

The incident came to light after pictures of these women went viral on social media:

He was quoted as saying, "Girls have tried in the past to enter the stadium,' he said, adding that women would remain barred because of 'crowding' and 'inappropriate conditions. The ban is aimed at preserving their honour, because the stadium's atmosphere, commotion, and crowds are no place for them."

He also said, "Women who wish to watch the match can do so on TV, which broadcasts the games and gives everyone a way to watch them live." 'Offside, the 2006 movie was based on Iran's ban on women attending sporting events. It showed how a group of girls dressed up as boys to enter into the Azadi stadium to watch that year's World Cup qualifying playoff against Bahrain.

Restrictions on women from watching basketball and volleyball events have been eased. However, they are allowed on only certain sections of the stands. The government of moderate President Hassan Rouhani wants to ease restrictions on some events.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 30, 2018 04:28 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).