As an Iranian woman I am torn between anger and guilt watching the World Cup team 🔵 tiara_sahar for ipaperviews
A part of me, though, is deeply uncomfortable with asking another Iranian, victimised like the rest of us, to make a sacrifice that could provoke the ire of the regime. This is a regime that has no red lines, and that has a tool in their arsenal much stronger than any weapon: threatening our families.
But I can’t dismiss the demands of Iranian protestors for a stronger stance from the football team, when, with no international profile, they place themselves at much greater risk than the team when they protest each day. Hundreds of protestors have paid the ultimate sacrifice, such as Ghazaleh Chelabi, whose last moments before she was shot were captured on her phone, She filmed the surrounding protests and chanted “don’t be scared, we’re all together”.
Motivated by the goal of a better Iran, Ghazaleh and others have been fearless – and in response, security forces amped up the brutality and killed them. When protestors continue to flood the streets even after the murders, not singing the national anthem pales in comparison. Aside from my fear for those back home, my anger at the team, my hope, my endless resentment of the regime, my guilt, what remains is a keen sense of tragedy. There’s the fact that everyday Iranians must give up their lives, their family, their future, to right the wrongs of a regime they never voted for.
Tiara Sahar Ataii works in humanitarian response for the UN and major iNGOs in 11 countries. She founded the largest student-led charity worldwide, SolidariTee, fighting for long-term change in the refugee crisis
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