From FOX News:
Reports: Iranian Soccer Stars Forced to ‘Retire’ Over Wristband Protest
Iranian authorities have told four players on the nation’s soccer team to turn in their cleats after they wore green wristbands in a show of solidarity with the country’s opposition leader, the Guardian reported, citing opposition newspapers in Iran.They unfurled a banner that read “Go to Hell Dictator,” and chanted “Compatriots, we will be with you to the end with the same heart.”
The players — including team captain Mehdi Mahdavikia and soccer star Ali Karimi — wore the wristbands in a June 17 match against South Korea in Seoul. Opposition newspapers reported that they were forced into retirement, along with Hosein Ka’abi, 24 and Vahid Hashemian, 32.
Mahdavikia is one of Iran’s biggest sports heroes for a goal he scored to eliminate the United States during the first round of the World Cup in 1998.
More players on Iran’s national soccer team wore green wristbands during the match, but removed them during half-time.
The move to wear the wristbands came as protesters in Iran accuse the government of rigging the June 12 election in favor of hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. They have been wearing green — the color of opposition leader Mir Houssein Mousavi’s campaign — in a show of support for the opposition candidate.
Fans from Iran also showed their support for the demonstrations at home by staging a protest outside the stadium.
During the match, protesters waved the banner, held up green paper signs reading “Where is my vote?” and waved Iran’s national flags emblazoned with the plea “Free Iran.”
This news is just the tip of the iceberg of the injustice that’s going on in Iran. I posted this because my blog is primarily about sports, but I can assure you, that football is the last thing on the mind of these players anyway.
I just signed up on twitter to see the latest comments coming from there about Iran.. Here is what I found:
baha54: RT: in Baharestan we saw militia with axe choping ppl like meat – blood everywhere – like butcher – Allah Akbar – #Iranelection #gr88 less than 10 seconds ago from web
parishkl: RT – Please DO NOT RT NAMES OF IRANIAN TWITTERS #IranElection ENSURE ALL SEE THIS!! They are risking their lives!! less than 20 seconds ago from web
eralv: RT @judyrey: #iran take battery out of your phone, they will be able to track you if U use phone. Be careful. #Iranelection less than 20 seconds ago from TwitterFon
shannapatel: RT PK:they were waiting for us – they all have guns and riot uniforms – it was like a mouse trap – ppl being shot like animals #Iranelection less than 20 seconds ago from web
NorwAnon: Iran’s military, Iran’s decent police and security, HELP YOUR PPL, don’t let them die at the hands of Ahmadinejad. #IranElection #gr8826 less than 20 seconds ago from web
FriendofPkiwi: RT: all shops was closed – nowhere to go – they follow ppls with helicopters – smoke and fire is everywhere #Iranelection less than 20 seconds ago from web
midpath: RT @whiotv Iran: New protests underway. Witness tell CNN that security forces are firing weapons and beating protestors. #iranelection less than 20 seconds ago from Nambu
I just want to ask anyone who’s reading this to keep all of Iran in your payers. I want to end off with a quote I loved from twitter:
“During September 11th, the whole World was American. And now, we are all Iranian.”
