A communications manager of the American Federation said it was a gesture of “punctual” of “solidarity with women in Iran”.
MO12345lemonde with AFP
The Iranian Football Federation protested Sunday, November 27 against the American Federation, which suppressed the emblem of the Iranian flag representing the word Allah in publications on social networks, before Tuesday’s meeting between the two teams at the World Cup 2022 football, in Qatar. The two selections will play their qualification in a highly political duel, while the Iranians are in second place in group B, with one more point than the Americans and a point behind England.
“The Iranian Football Federation sent an email to FIFA to demand that it address a serious warning to the American Federation,” said official IRNA agency. “In a non -professional act, the American Federation has suppressed the emblem representing Allah of the Iranian flag” in publications on social networks, said the agency. The flag of the Islamic Republic of Iran is made up of three colors, green, white and red, with a calligraphic sign in the center representing the word Allah.
more diplomatic relations since 1980
A communications official for the American Federation said it is a “punctual gesture to show [their] solidarity with women in Iran”. “The flag has never been modified on the official website of the federation,” he added. Later in the day, a spokesperson for the American Federation said that controversial publications on social networks have been deleted. “We continue to support women’s rights in Iran,” he said.
Iran and the United States had marked the memories during the 1998 World Cup with scenes of fraternity between the players of the two countries. They have no longer had diplomatic relations since 1980, a few months after taking hostages from the American embassy in Tehran in November 1979. The incident occurs when Iran is the scene of a dispute movement triggered On September 16 by the death of Mahsa Amini, 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish, after his arrest by the Police of mores in Tehran.
Saturday, another flag affair opposed Kosovo to Serbia. Little state officials vilified a Serbian flag hanging in a national team locker room before his match against Brazil, showing Kosovo as part of Serbia. Unlike the United States and many European countries, Serbia has never recognized the independence of Kosovo, declared unilaterally in 2008.