Deutsche Welle
November 29, 2022
The Iranian Human Rights group said that more than half had been killed in areas with high Kurdish and Baloch populations. Meanwhile, Iranian authorities acknowledge a toll of more than 300 for the first time.Iranian security forces have killed at least 488 people in a crackdown on protests, the Iranian Human Rights (IHR) group said on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, a general of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps said "more than 300 martyrs and people" have been killed in the unrest, the first time authorities have acknowledged such a figure.
Protests broke out in mid-September in Iran following the death of young Kurdish woman Jina Mahsa Amini in police custody, who had been detained for allegedly failing to wear her veil according to the Islamic Republic's strict dress code.
At least 488 people killed -- NGO
Of the 488 people killed, 60 were children, the IHR, a nongovernmental organization, said. It said 16 people were killed over the past week alone, of which 12 were killed in Kurdish-majority areas.
Kurdish-inhabited areas of Iran have been major sites of unrest. Amini herself hailed from the Kurdish city of Saqez in western Iran.
"The numbers are a minimum and only include cases verified by Iran Human Rights," the organization said.
Iranian anti-government football fans protest in Qatar
BBC News
November 29, 2022
Many Iranians are boycotting the World Cup as they feel the team has not done enough to support the protest movement or criticise a regime which has killed hundreds of people. But a group of expat fans are trying to keep the protest flame alive inside Qatar's stadiums.
"I'm happy I'm here and that I'm doing this because I could see the fear in their eyes," says Tara, a young Iranian woman and football enthusiast.
She tells me the World Cup stadiums are heavy with government supporters for Iran's matches.
Tara is not her real name. Everyone I spoke to would only agree to an interview if they could keep their identities secret.
Amir travelled to Doha with his partner Rana.
"I thought this is what the government wants, for us not to come here so they could only have their own people [in the stadiums]," he says.
"This was supposed to be our honeymoon," says Rana.
But attending the matches in Doha has brought up conflicting emotions for her.
"I literally feel like I'm in mourning. My brothers and sisters have died. Even though I'm excited to be here and I'm enjoying the game, I'm not happy," she says.
'They turned the team against us'
Iran has been convulsed by anti-government protests since September when a young 22-year-old woman called Mahsa Amini died in police custody.
People are torn over whether the Iranian football team is with the protesters or the government.
The football team - nicknamed Team Melli, meaning national team - met President Ebrahim Raisi just before they travelled to Doha.
Photos of the meeting spread across social media platforms leading many opponents of the Islamic Republic to criticise the team and call for a boycott.
"Team Melli was for the people. The people who had no voice," says Tara. "Team Melli was the only thing that would unite us… and they turned Team Melli against us."
Everyone was on edge at the start of the first match.
But seeing people wearing t-shirts and wearing nail polish that reads 'women, life, freedom' in both Persian and English gave the protesters a boost.
"It was like a secret but not so secret club," says Rana. "We cheered each other on."
The Iranian football team stayed silent during the national anthem at the first match but anti-government football fans made their voices heard.
They chanted "Ali Karimi" at the eighth and 88th minute of the match, a reference to the former footballer who wore the number 8 shirt and who is one of the most outspoken critics of the republic.
"There were people booing the national anthem," says Rana. "There were people who didn't applaud when the names of the players were called out."
Tension in the crowd
But the atmosphere was very different for Iran's second match.
"It was so scary," says Tara. "You feel under threat."
Rana, Tara and Amir tell me they felt there were more government supporters at this match.
"As soon as we started chanting, the next row would start saying 'Iranians with honour, Iranians with pride'," says Tara. "That's one of the chants they used to silence us."
They tell me they saw some people inside the stadium gesture to security and ask them to remove protest material from some fans.
"They fear every single person who is standing for 'women, life, freedom'… because as soon as they hear that chant, they start getting so tense," says Tara.
I ask them how they felt when Iran scored its first goal against Wales.
"We didn't cheer a lot. My three friends and I had a group hug and then we cried," says Tara.
'Not safe'
Qatar has had good diplomatic relations with Iran for years. In 2017, Iran was one of the few regional countries that supported Qatar when Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) led a blockade against the Gulf state.
Iranian fans who oppose the government tell me they don't feel safe expressing their opinions here, precisely due to the close ties between the two countries.
"I don't feel safe here," says Tara. "You feel like a branch of the Islamic Republic is here to harass you."
Despite the risks, Tara, Rana and Amir will still attend the third game on Tuesday. To them, being here is a duty.
"I heard that some journalists were denied visas to come here so that makes us individuals a lot more important," Rana says.
"We are the journalists now," says Tara.
Iran secretly contracts with Qatar over world cup dissent: Report
Michael Lee
November 29, 2022
Qatar has been cooperating with Iran on an effort to control which media outlets cover the World Cup in a bid to ensure the event is beneficial to the Iranian regime.
An audio tape obtained by Iran International reportedly contains discussions between a Revolutionary Guard general and a group of media managers affiliated with the Revolutionary Guard discussing how to ensure the world's largest sporting even paints Tehran in a positive light, the outlet reported Sunday.
The recording, which Iran International reported was from Nov. 15, features General Ghasem Ghoreyshi, who tells the group that "anti-revolutionaries" have purchased "5,330 tickets" to the World Cup, adding that "our boys have checked the list of the ticket holders and at least 500 people" who have purchased tickets are known opponents of the regime.
Ghoresyshi appears to be referring to authorities in Qatar, who reportedly shared a list of Iranian ticket purchase with the IRGC. However, Ghoresyshi also expressed disappointment in Qatari authorities when asked if rumors that tickets had been canceled are true, saying that the country has not fully followed through on that promise.
MANY IRANIANS WANT US VICTORY IN WORLD CUP GAME AMID ONGOING PROTESTS
"Qatar has two different conducts with us – one is a positive response, and it has promised to do that [cancel tickets], but usually they don’t fully deliver," he said in the recording. "They told us give us the names [of unwanted people], and we will solve the issue."
Ghoresyshi also expressed frustration that Qatar had yet to ban Iran International from covering the World Cup, though another person attending the meeting interrupts the general to report that the outlet had announced they had been banned by Qatar from covering the event. Ghoreyshi expressed surprise at the development, saying Iran had discussed the issue with Qatar "the day before".
Iran International, which has often reported on news unflattering to Iranian regime, announced earlier this month that its reporters and TV crew had been banned from the World Cup.
Later in the recording, Ghoreshyi boasts that Qatar had agreed to control spectators at the stadium, banning flags other than the official flag of the Islamic Republic from entering stadiums.
WORLD CUP 2022: IRANIAN PLAYERS GO SILENT DURING NATIONAL ANTHEM TO SHOW SUPPORT FOR PROTESTERS BACK HOME
Qatar reportedly came through on that promise during Iran's second World Cup game against Wales, with stadium security stopping people with flags, such as Iran’s ancient flag featuring a lion and sun emblem, or a simple three-color flag. Some of those spectators with unapproved flags were even reportedly detained by Qatari police.
The report comes amid protests that have rocked the Iranian regime in recent months with the country's authorities fearing that the protests could spill into the World Cup, where anti-regime spectators could display signs or engage in behavior that would be broadcasted back to fans back home.
Ghoreshyi admitted in the recording that Iran was paying the expenses of pro-regime fans to Qatar to attend the games and show support for the regime.
Despite the efforts, some spectators attending Iran's games have been heard singing anti-regime chants and booing during the Islamic Republic's anthem.
Win or Lose, Some Iranians Are Torn Over Supporting Their World Cup Team
Armani Syed
November 29, 2022
Ever since the World Cup kicked-off, many Iranians have been torn over whether to support their national team at a time of mass protests over the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini on Sept. 16 while in police custody, after she was detained for allegedly violating mandatory hijab laws. That tension has grown as Iran and the U.S. face off Tuesday at 10 p.m. local time (2 p.m. EST) in a game that could determine which team will advance to the knockout stage.
As the Financial Times reported, some Iranians want their team to lose. “I just wondered where I had made that huge mistake in bringing him up. How could he back the mullahs’ team?” Soheila, a 58-year-old former nurse in Tehran, told the newspaper of her son’s support of the Iranian national team.
The Islamic Republic has cited the team’s success on the pitch, raising concerns about “sportswashing.” “The Iranian national team players made the Iranian nation happy. May God make them happy,” Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Saturday, following Iran’s surprise 2-0 victory over Wales.
But for Arshin Adib-Moghaddam, a professor at the School of Oriental and African Studies, the reluctance of some Iranians to support their squad “shifted” after the win against Wales. “Iranians adore [soccer]. Despite all the politics surrounding their team, the enthusiasm displayed by them in the game against Wales had a contagious effect,” Adib-Moghaddam says.
Below, a round up of the controversy around Iran’s squad ahead of Tuesday’s game, and a look at the country’s odds of advancing to the knockout stage for the first time ever.
The U.S.-Iran press conference with Tyler Adams
In a press conference Monday, U.S. head coach Gregg Berhalter and U.S. squad captain Tyler Adams fielded questions from Iranian state TV reporters about the relationship between the two governments, as well as their personal convictions. “We support Iran’s people and Iran’s team. But that being said, we’re laser-focused on this match, as they are as well,” Adams said, with a mispronunciation of the country’s name that led to further questions.
An Iranian journalist from the state-run PressTV corrected Adams’ pronunciation. “First of all, you say you support the Iranian people, but you’re pronouncing our country’s name wrong,” he said, pelting a series of political questions at the pair that stood in sharp contrast to most pre-game press conferences.
The U.S. soccer federation’s depiction of Iran’s flag
The U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) briefly modified Iran’s flag on social media, posting it without the emblem of the Islamic Republic. According to a statement by the USSF on Sunday, the 24-hour move was a bid to show “support for the women in Iran fighting for basic human rights.” The gesture did not go down well with pro-regime figures in Iran, with the government calling on FIFA to expel the team from the World Cup over the move.
The Iran squad’s tightrope walking
Ahead of Iran’s first game against England on Nov. 20, star player Ehsan Hajsafi said at a press conference, “I would like to express my condolences to all of the bereaved families in Iran. They should know that we are with them, we support them, and we sympathize with them.” The squad then stayed silent during their national anthem at the game. But the players reversed course and mouthed along to the anthem during the Nov. 25 game against Wales, days after former national player and regime critic, Voria Ghafouri, was arrested in Tehran.
Criticism of former U.S. coach Jürgen Klinsmann’s remarks
Jürgen Klinsmann, a FIFA official and former U.S coach, came under fire after comments he made Friday criticizing Iran’s “gamesmanship.” Klinsmann repeatedly said “it’s in the culture” of Iranians to be unsportsmanlike and heckle referees. “This is not by coincidence, this is all purposely. This is just part of their culture, that’s how they play,” he said. “They work the referee, you saw the bench always jumping up, always working the linesman, constantly in their ears, they’re constantly in your face,” Klinsmann said, adding that Iran coach Carlos Queiroz—a Portuguese-Mozambican national—fits in well there.
Upon hearing these comments, Queiroz called for Klinsmann to resign from his role as a member of FIFA’s Technical Study Group in a Twitter thread posted Saturday, where he called the remarks “prejudicial,” “outrageous,” and a “disgrace to football.”
Klinsmann has defended his comments, saying Queiroz “took it the wrong way.” The former Tottenham striker also said he would call Queiroz to “calm things down.”
Can Iran advance to the knockout stage?
The most likely outcome is England beating Wales and the U.S. beating Iran Tuesday for the final two matches in Group B, according to American statistics website FiveThirtyEight. The two games are being held simultaneously at 10 p.m. local time (2 p.m. EST). But Iran could advance with a draw or win, depending on the outcome of the England-Wales game.
Tyler Adams: USA captain's reply to Iranian reporter showed he's pure class
Nick Sutterland
November 29, 2022
United States of America captain Tyler Adams has gone viral following his classy response to an Iranian journalist who called him out during a press conference on Monday.
The USA and Iran meet in a crucial Group B encounter on Tuesday evening in the knowledge that a win for either will advance to the knockout stages of the World Cup.
Iran could even qualify with just a draw if Wales fail to beat England in the group’s other match.
Tensions have been high between the two nations in the build-up to the crunch fixture, with Iran even reportedly filing an official complaint with FIFA requesting that the US be kicked out of the tournament.
Ahead of the game at Al Thumama Stadium, Leeds United midfielder Adams was called out by an Iranian journalist.
Ultimate World Cup quiz
The reporter involved first took issue with Adams’ pronouncation of ‘Iran’, before going on to quiz the 23-year-old about his home country’s record on discrimination.
“First of all, you say you support the Iranian people, but you’re pronouncing our country’s name wrong. Please once and for all, let’s get this clear,” began the journalist.
“Second of all, are you okay to be representing a country that has so much discrimination against black people in its own borders. And we saw the Black Lives Matter movement over the past few years. Are you okay to be representing the US meanwhile, there’s so much discrimination happening against black people in America?”
Faced with some pretty heavy subject matter in the second part of the journalist’s question, Adams showed poise, class and maturity beyond his years in delivering his response. You can check it out here.
“My apologies for the mispronunciation of your country,” Adams said.
“That being said there’s discrimination everywhere you go. One thing that I’ve learned, especially from living abroad in the past years and having to fit in different cultures and kind of assimilate into different cultures is that in the US, we’re continuing to make progress every single day.”
Adams explained: “Growing up for me, I grew up in a white family with an obviously an African American Heritage and background as well. So I had a little bit of different cultures and I was very, very easily able to assimilate in different cultures.
“Not everyone has that, that ease and the ability to do that and obviously it takes longer to understand and through education, I think it’s super important – like you just educated me now on the pronunciation of your country. It’s a process I think, as long as you see progress, that’s the most important thing.”
The reporter involved seemingly had no interest in discussing Tuesday’s match, despite attempts from Adams and United States boss Gregg Berhalter to steer the conversation back in that direction.
A number of players at Qatar 2022 have already made it clear that they would rather not discuss political issues and instead focus entirely on matters on the pitch.
Under the pressure of a grilling from the Iranian press, Adams deserves huge credit for his classy and considered response.
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