Oh definitely. The only reason the west has any inkling that the average Iranian's discontent is a result of soccer. But, I see that they may not be in the World Cup, though. I am not sure, I am not a soccer fan and do not know the rules for who gets in.
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Yahoo! News
Associated Press
Saturday November 10 4:29 PM ET
Police on Guard in Tehran's Streets
By BRIAN MURPHY, Associated Press Writer
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Thousands of police guarded stores and gas stations
in the Iranian capital Saturday night, but there was no immediate sign
of disappointed soccer fans taking to the streets after Ireland beat
Iran 2-0 in a World Cup qualifier.
The subdued mood in the capital contrasted with the outbursts of youthful
energy after previous matches by Iran's national soccer team. For more
than a month, Tehran and other cities have witnessed startling displays
of independence, frustration and, at times, rage.
Various pillars of the Islamic regime have tried to explain the
celebrations and riots as youthful excitement. Others, however, are
picking up the scent of the most potent discontent since the 1979
Islamic Revolution.
While the soccer fans appeared to take Saturday's loss in Dublin,
Ireland, quietly, they may react differently after the return match,
which is to be played Thursday in Tehran. The return game will decide
which of the two nations gets a berth for next year's World Cup.
In previous celebrations, the crowds have been mostly content with a
few hours of freedom from Iran's Islamic codes. Girls cast off their
head scarves. Boys join them in openly sensual dances. Western music
pumps from car speakers in astounding traffic jams.
This alone is enough to rattle the conservative clerics who still control
the levers of power in Iran, despite gradual social reforms in recent
years. But there's more. Some of the post-game outbursts have openly
challenged the Islamic leadership.
Riot police have been taunted. Vandals have attacked stores and banks,
leading to scores of arrests. Stunning chants are heard: "We love
USA" - an obvious counterpoint to the standard "Death to America" at
government-run prayers and events.
"You can't ignore the political dimensions of what's happening after
the soccer matches," said Mohsen Kadivar, a cleric and professor who
was jailed in 1999 for his criticisms of Islamic rulers.
"The closer politics and religion are brought together, both sides
suffer," he added. "They can coexist, of course, but when they overlap
there are problems."
For the moment, there is no direct threat to the conservatives.
What worries them, however, is the profile of the post-game crowds:
young and impatient for even more liberties, with a taste for Internet
cafes and Super Star, a clone of an American fast food spot.
Nearly half of Iran's 65 million people are under 20 years old. To them,
the passions of the Islamic Revolution are history lessons. The defining
moments - the storming of the U.S. Embassy and the 1980-88 war with Iraq -
are well known, but never shaped their outlooks.
The speaker of parliament, Mehdi Karroubi, warned that a growing rift
between leaders and the public could pose a "serious threat" to the
country.
The hard-liners do not seem in a mood to compromise. A council close to
Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has recommended banning
private Internet providers and consolidating all Web access under the
government. Last month, a crackdown on satellite dishes was resumed
after years of lax enforcement.
On Sunday, the trial of members of the anti-clerical Freedom Movement
is expected to begin on charges of trying to overthrow the Islamic
establishment. The trial may be held without a jury, media reports said. |
