Middle-East tensions spill into stadiums
THE first World Cup in the Middle East has become a showcase for the political tensions criss-crossing one of the world’s most volatile regions and the ambiguous role often played by host nation Qatar in its crises.
Iran’s matches have been the most politically charged as fans voice support for protesters who have been boldly challenging the clerical leadership at home. They have also proved diplomatically sensitive for Qatar which has good ties to Tehran.
Pro-Palestinian sympathies among fans have also spilt into stadiums as four Arab teams compete. Qatari players have worn pro-Palestinian armbands, even as Qatar has allowed Israeli fans to fly in directly for the first time.
Even the Qatari Emir has engaged in politically significant acts, donning a Saudi flag during its historic defeat of Argentina, notable support for a country with which he has been mending ties strained by regional tensions.
Such gestures have added to the political dimensions of a tournament mired in controversy even before kick-off over the treatment of migrant workers and LGBT+ rights in the conservative host country, where homosexuality is illegal.
The stakes are high for Qatar, which hopes a smooth tournament will cement its role on the global stage and in the Middle East, where it has survived as an independent state since 1971 despite numerous regional upheavals. The first Middle Eastern nation to host the World Cup, Qatar has often seemed a regional maverick: it hosts the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas but has also previously had some trade relations with Israel.
It has given a platform to Islamist dissidents deemed a threat by Saudi Arabia and its allies, while befriending Riyadh’s foe Iran, and hosting the largest US military base in the region.
Tensions in Iran, swept by more than two months of protests ignited by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini after she was arrested for flouting strict dress codes, have been reflected inside and outside the stadiums.
But some say stadium security have stopped them showing their backing for the protests. At Iran’s November 25 match against Wales, security denied entry to fans carrying Iran’s pre-Revolution flag and T-shirts with the protest slogan “Woman, Life, Freedom” and “Mahsa Amini”. After the game, there was tension outside the ground between opponents and supporters of the Iranian government.
Two fans who argued with stadium security on separate occasions over the confiscations told Reuters they believed that policy stemmed from Qatar’s ties with Iran. A Qatari official said “additional security measures have been put in place during matches involving Iran following the recent political tensions in the country”.
Asked about confiscated material or detained fans, a spokesperson for the organising supreme committee referred to Fifa and Qatar’s list of prohibited items. They ban items with “political, offensive, or discriminatory messages”.
Controversy also swirled around the Iranian team, which was seen to show support for the protests in its first game by refraining from singing the national anthem, only to sing it ahead of its second match.