Two Irans
The people of Iran have long suffered under the thumb of authoritarianism. Following the Iranian Revolution in the late 1970s, a fundamentalist theocracy has enjoyed absolute power over the state. Its sins are numerous; between the implementation of the "Morality Police," its record of brutal response to dissent, and atrocious human rights abuses, the Islamic Republic of Iran has garnered a notorious reputation worldwide. As time has passed, the Iranian people and members of the Iranian diaspora have increasingly grown to distinguish themselves from the state and worked to reclaim their Persian heritage. Because of this stark contrast between the official Iranian government and the Iranian people, it is clear that the word "Iran" now fosters two distinct meanings.
Pictured: Scenes from a pro-revolution protest in Iran, 1979
Source: AP News
Source: AP News
The Question: |
The State?
In the eyes of the state, the team acts as their representative, leading the regime to have an abnormally active hand in their affairs. Specifically, they have been in contact with the government of Qatar to "keep the team in line" during the World Cup, and have allegedly made death threats against the players' families. One thing is clear: the state wants control above all else.
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The People?
For many Iranians, Team Melli represents Persian identity and has nothing to do with the state. They recognize that the regime plays a hand in the team's affairs, but hang onto the belief that it is still for the people. In a word, Team Melli represents reclamation: despite decades of suffering, they can still return to football to reclaim their pride as Iranians.
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