Iran ‘not under any pressure’ after anthem protest says Taremi

Iranian soccer player Mehdi Taremi on Thursday denied that his team had received pressure from his government to choose not to play the national anthem before their first World Cup match.

The Iranians had nothing to do with their performances ahead of their 6-2 win over England on Monday in a show of solidarity with the Islamic Republic government’s protesters. Iran has been rocked by protests stemming from the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini after she was arrested in September for allegedly violating the country’s strict dress code for women, based on Sharia Islam.
I don’t like to talk about politics but we are not under pressure, Taremi told reporters ahead of Iran B’s second match against Wales on Friday. I know that such questions will be asked but whatever I say, it will not matter because some people will write what they want to write, he added.

Therefore, I prefer to talk about politics only in private or on my own social network. Taremi, who scored both goals for Iran in their big win over England, said: We came to play football, not just us but all the players here in Qatar.
I can make a difference with thousands of people like me. Iran coach Carlos Queiroz also said that he does not think that sports and politics should mix.

We don’t want to mix these kinds of words when we play football, said the experienced Portuguese coach. What I love, as a humble citizen of the world, is that you don’t have that kind of question to other teachers of other countries.
To make them the only people who can give you the answers to the problems of humanity all over the world, I don’t think that is right. Iranian authorities on Thursday arrested a former international soccer player of Kurdish origin who supported the protest, media reports said.

Voria Ghafouri, who has appeared 28 times for Iran until 2019, was arrested for spreading propaganda against Iran, Fars news agency reported. UN chief Volker Turk said on Thursday that around 14,000 people, including children, were arrested during the protests and condemned the fact that at least six protesters were sentenced to death.

ARticle by jen.jiji.com