World Cup fans are banned from bringing in pre-revolutionary Iran flags and apparel to stadiums this summer — while the controversial Palestinian flag will be allowed.
FIFA has ruled items with the symbolism will not be permitted at this year’s iteration of the globe’s most-famous soccer tournament, The Athletic reported on Tuesday.
FIFA says the flag violates their code of conduct, which states “banners, flags, fliers, apparel and other paraphernalia, that are of a political, offensive and/or discriminatory nature” will not be allowed at event venues.
The Palestinian flag is an “officially approved flag of a member association of FIFA,” The Athletic reported.
The Athletic interviewed Iran and US policy expert Karim Sadjadpour, of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, who said: “Trying to prohibit Iranians in LA from bringing the Lion and Sun flag into the stadium is like trying to prevent Americans from bringing the U.S. flag into an American stadium. It would cause mass unrest.”
Pre-revolutionary Iran imagery contains a lion holding a sword and a sun over a green-, white- and red-striped background.
In 1980, following the Islamic Revolution, the country adopted a new national image, which features an Islamic emblem over the same green, white and red bars.
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FIFA has banned the old Iranian imagery before.
At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, fans bearing attire with the lion and sun on it were turned away, according to The Athletic.
The outlet states the pre-revolutionary imagery is often displayed at public events “by those in the Iranian diaspora as a symbol of identity and protest.”
Emel Karsaz, an Iranian living in Los Angeles who describes herself as a Iranian-American advocate for freedom in Iran, told The California Post on Tuesday that regardless of FIFA’s ban, she’s still anticipating the imagery to show up en masse at World Cup venues because she believes the Iranian soccer team is “is basically representing IRGC” and “not representing people.”
“I’m sure it’s going to make everyone so angry that I’ll bet you anything there’s going to be a huge protest,” she said.
The World Cup kicks off next month in Canada, Mexico and the United States. Iran will open its group stage slate of games against New Zealand on June 15 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
