Iranian Woman Sets Herself on Fire after Being Disallowed into a Football Stadium

In what was shocking to hear, an Iranian woman set herself to fire when she was denied entry into a football stadium in Tehran.

The woman, named Sahar Khodayari, was reported to be arrested in March when she entered the football stadium disguised as a man.

Multiple sources have reported that she set herself alight in front of the court when she overheard someone saying that if she were convicted she could get six months to two years in prison.

Human rights organisation Amnesty International released a statement saying it was “heartbreaking.”

“What happened to Sahar Khodayari is heartbreaking,” the statement read.

“Her only ‘crime’ was being a woman in a country where women face discrimination that is entrenched in law and plays out in the most horrific ways imaginable in every area of their lives, even sports. ”

That Sahar Khodayari had to attempt such a thing was due to a ridiculous ban in the country of Iran that stops women from entering football stadiums to watch a men’s game.

“To our knowledge, Iran is the only country in the world that stops and punishes women seeking to enter football stadiums,” the statement continued.

“This discriminatory ban must end immediately and the international community – including football’s world governing body, FIFA, and the Asian Football Confederation – must take urgent action to end the ban and to ensure that women are allowed access to all sports stadiums without discrimination or risk of prosecution or punishment.

Earlier, football’s governing body Fifa set a deadline of 31 August for Iran to allow women into stadiums – something that they are yet to do.

“We are aware of that tragedy and deeply regret it,” a Fifa statement said. “Fifa convey our condolences to the family and friends of Sahar and reiterate our calls on the Iranian authorities to ensure the freedom and safety of any women engaged in this legitimate fight to end the stadium ban for women in Iran.”

The Amnesty International statement also claimed that the attempts to allow women into stadiums were mere “publicity stunts” rather than a step in the right direction.

“While the Iranian authorities have allowed small numbers of women to enter football stadiums on a handful of occasions, these have amounted to nothing more than publicity stunts, rather than meaningful steps to lifting the ban on women altogether.

“Amnesty International believes that Sahar Khodayari would still be alive if it were not for this draconian ban and the subsequent trauma of her arrest, detention and prosecution for attempting to circumvent it. Her death must not be in vain. It must spur change in Iran if further tragedies are to be avoided in the future.”

Many people came up against the horrible ban that takes fans away from the game. It is definitely time for FIFA to act on it and the Iranian government to look a little into the rules.