Clenched Obsessively, Even Against Their Star Athletes

Remember When Iran Won?:

Despite its no-show in South Africa this year, the Iranian team has enjoyed some success in World Cups past. Its first World Cup victory came in dramatic fashion, in a much-hyped and politically charged match against the United States in 1998. Iran’s 2-1 victory was sealed when Mehdi Mahdavikia, the country’s most accomplished international player, streaked down the field for a stunning breakaway goal. The jubilation in the streets of Tehran coincided with an atmosphere of political hope, personified by the recently-elected reformist President Mohammad Khatami.

Twelve years later, those hopes have not been realized, and Mahdavikia has been red-carded by the regime. Shortly after the June 2009 election, he and several teammates wore green wristbands in a match against South Korea in solidarity with the protestors. Soon after, Mahdavikia and other players announced their retirement from international play amid reports that they had been forced out for their act of dissent. Mahdavikia is just one of many talented Iranians who have been targeted by the regime in its sweeping efforts to quash any possible act of defiance.

The head of the Revolutionary Guards, Maj. Gen. Mohammad Ali Jafari, recently stated that the opposition was more dangerous to Iran even than archenemy Saddam Hussein had been. Such threats have not squelched the opposition or the passions which fuel it, but they have forced reform-minded Iranians to exercise great care, and often to flee their own country. In the face of such unrelenting oppression, the Iranian people have received little in the way of international support.

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