Last month 2 000 Iranian women purchased tickets to attend a FIFA World Cup qualifier match between Iran and Lebanon. However, when they arrived at the stadium they were held at the gate and told that the city’s religious authorities had forbidden them from watching the game.
Mashhad is a Shiite holy city, and its government enforces stricter religious rules than the rest of the country, such as bans on live music performances and stricter Hijab mandates.
After being denied entry many of the women began protesting, chanting and refusing to leave without admittance to the venue. According to eyewitnesses they were dispersed by police with batons and pepper spray.
Women attending stadiums has been illegal since the 1979 Iranian revolution, however this rule is not codified in law and so is enforced by religious authorities at their own discretion.