Iran to Allow Women to Attend Sporting Events

[quaoar]

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/30/world/middleeast/30cnd-iran.html?hp&ex=1146456000&en=31b2617a5d68d758&ei=5094&partner=homepage

By NAZILA FATHI

TEHRAN, April 30 — Female sports fans can attend games at Iran's stadiums for the first time in nearly three decades, after President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad unexpectedly lifted a ban last week that had prohibited women from entering stadiums.

Senior clerics and conservative members of Parliament criticized the decision, saying that frequent hooliganism at sporting events made them inappropriate for women.

But Mr. Ahmadinejad said women will promote better behavior.

"Certain prejudices against women have nothing to do with Islam," he said on Friday, several days after lifting the ban, in a speech that seemed to present him for the first time as a supporter of expanded rights for women. "Unfortunately, whenever there is talk of social corruption, fingers are pointed at women. Shouldn't men be blamed for the problems too?"

[rpannier]

1. My how progressive of him.

What comes next?
Women being allowed to attend political rallies with men?

In fairness to the man (and I think he's a lunatic flake), he is right that men should be blamed for the problems of social corruption, especially since most of them are men doing it to women.
He is also right that "there are many prejudices against women that have nothing to do with Islam". It's a subversion of Islam by the greedy and morally corrupt to protect their position and standing.

[Ecumenist]

4. I have to grudgingly agree with your points, especially the

unIslamic mysogynistis prejudice.

[noonwitch]

7. He does have a point about the hooliganism

look at the Palace brawl last year, involving Ron Artest and the Pistons fans. Were there any women involved? Of course not.

Of course, women should be allowed to go to any public event they choose to attend. But we do have the taste to not want to attend some events or go to some venues-tittie bars being a good example of such a venue.

[arcos]

2. Welcome to the 19th century Iran! nt

[Ecumenist]

3. Gee thanks, Mahmoud.

You and bush are more alike than you'll ever know.

[WhiteTara]

5. If I were an Iranian woman, I'd be alarmed

the women let into the "stadiums" of Islamic Afghanistan usually were murdered as the "sport".

[spanone]

6. Gee, that makes the whole war effort worthwhile.

:sarcasm: