Protesting soccer players banned for life.
Protesting soccer players banned for life.
Last Wednesday, six members of Iran’s football team wore green writstbands in apparent support of the anti-Ahmadinejad protesters. Now Iranian authorities “have taken revenge by imposing life bans” on four of those players, the Guardian reports:
Most of the players obeyed instructions to remove the armwear at half-time, but Mahdavikia wore his green captain’s armband for the entire match. The four are also said to have been banned from giving media interviews.
The fate of the other two players who wore the wristbands is unknown. None of the team members were given back their passports upon returning to Tehran after the match, which ended in a 1-1 draw – a result that ended Iran’s hopes of qualifying for next year’s tournament.
(HT: Andrew Sullivan)
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,,,
banned for life.
it gets worse.
they’re about to be spammed
by an jo and freemarketlibel.
:(
June 23rd, 2009 at 3:16 pmGives new context to the term, “take your ball and go home”.
Khamenei and his ilk are acting more like petulant children as each day goes by.
June 23rd, 2009 at 3:27 pmSomething tells me that the “for life” part refers to the life of this regime which doesn’t look too healthy at the moment.
June 23rd, 2009 at 3:31 pmOther international teams should refuse to play Iran until the government rescinds this punishment.
June 23rd, 2009 at 3:32 pmDisgraceful.
Think of what would have happened, had the players been banned…and Iran NOT been knocked out of qualification.
There’s only so far you can push the citizenry; when you bring soccer (football) into the mix, you’re asking for further discord.
June 23rd, 2009 at 3:39 pmThe Iranian soccer players did the right thing.
June 23rd, 2009 at 3:42 pmbanned for life, as in not able to live?
Or is that the next step?
“We’re sorry, the protesting Iranian football players are now banned from breathing…”
June 23rd, 2009 at 3:45 pm‘Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose’
-Kris Kristofferson
“God bless Obama. God bless America. And God bless the others outside our borders.” –Kris Kristofferson
I’m not a huge fan of his music, but I love his quotes. When asked by Jon Stewart if Kris was a Progressive, he replied,
no, Jon, I’m WAY left of that.
Iran is in an embryonic stage of freedom. Give them all the support you can in anyway you can. In many ways, the USA started this mess in 1953 by ousting their leader and installing a puppet to corporations.
We, as Americans, owe Iranians our support. Write a letter. Put up a yard sign. If you know any Iranians or American / Iranians, be sure to tell them they have our support.
Religion, like corporations, are fully entrenched in control & power. They do not give up easily. This will take time.
Peace be upon all of you
June 23rd, 2009 at 3:45 pmIt’s hard enough being on the Iran soccer team alone. I remember the North Korea game.
June 23rd, 2009 at 3:46 pmI wonder what would have happened to an American soccer player on the international team who called for the overthrow of Bush and Cheney (or Obama)?
June 23rd, 2009 at 3:49 pmI’m just waiting for Karl Rove to go on Faux News to say that the players’ banning is Obama’s fault.
June 23rd, 2009 at 3:51 pmI couldn’t help but notice that none of these players were pulled out of the game when they wore the green wristbands. Punishment was only meted out after their value as soccer players for Iran was exhausted for the year. Had they won their match, it would be a different story.
June 23rd, 2009 at 3:57 pmcandide Says:
Other international teams should refuse to play Iran until the government rescinds this punishment.
Absolutely!
And missmolly, you beat me to it… had Iran won, these players wouldn’t have faced being banned for life.
Now they are without passports, trapped in country whose government condemns them for wearing arm bands in support of their fellow citizens!
When you compare your freedoms to China, and China comes out on the more liberal side, it’s time for a regime change.
PEACE
June 23rd, 2009 at 4:06 pmWell – at least the USA (and corporates) have never banned any athlete for making a political sign.
Yeah, right.
Seriously though, I am rather happy with this outcome as I was expecting much more draconian judgements.
June 23rd, 2009 at 4:45 pmThe marmoulaks (lizards) stink!
June 23rd, 2009 at 5:28 pm@ delafield:
The closest parallel to this by Americans that comes to mind is Tommie Smith and John Carlos who did the Black Power salute at the 1968 Olympics. They caught a lot of flack at the time, but it looks like the only official action was by the IOC, which banned them from the Games, and it looks like they’ve apologized for that.
First Amendment and all that. Sometimes it works!
June 23rd, 2009 at 6:06 pmTheocratical dictatorships suck.
I think Khomeni’s days are numbered.
June 23rd, 2009 at 10:17 pmThank you..
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Thanks
June 27th, 2009 at 4:11 pm