“They are looking for my gradual removal.” This is a statement that a few days ago, Asou Javaheri, a former futsal player and women’s football referee, told news agencies about her continued ban from refereeing in women’s football in Iran. Hoping that by bringing this issue to the media, it will serve as a wake-up call to those involved in women’s football, who may finally wake up from their deep slumber and think about the hidden removals and eliminations of women from the sports arena in our country. Right after the news in early December of this year, the International Football Federation removed the Iranian women’s national football team from its rankings due to the team being inactive for over 18 months (read: the negligence of men), in order to shed light on the history of eliminations and gender discrimination in Iranian sports.

Gender discrimination and gradual removal of women in Iranian society is not a new approach and currently has a wide range of effects on the

Asu Jeweler, Elite Athlete

A few days ago, news came out that the Iranian Football Federation’s referee committee has threatened to ban one of the experienced and knowledgeable female football referees, Asou Javaheri. The reasons for this action are baseless and illegal. Javaheri has been informed that the reason for her ban is her involvement in academic research alongside her refereeing duties, which the men in charge see as a hindrance to her role as a referee. However, everyone has the right to pursue research and writing in their field of work, and there should be no obstacle to this. But who is Asou Javaheri and why are they trying to remove her?

Asou Javaheri is not an ordinary referee or athlete that the men in charge can simply dismiss and send home, even though they may not approve of others doing the same. Javaheri is one of the rare gems that has brought attention to Iranian sports and women, and her presence can inspire progress and improvement

We bring the judge from behind the alley!

Silencing women’s voices and depriving them of the opportunity to referee in Iranian competitions is not a new occurrence. Last year, before the start of the season, a number of female referees protested against the non-payment of their fees for the years 2017 and 2018. This protest not only went unheard, but measures were taken to punish these women, resulting in 30 experienced female referees being banned from refereeing in the football league for several weeks, in order to prevent them from protesting again.

As one of these referees, Asou Javaheri was banned from participating in competitions for a longer period of time than others. Even her participation in the CAFA tournament in Tajikistan was sanctioned by the Iranian Football Federation. In response to these protesting women, it was said that there was no need for them to referee, and instead, amateur referees from the same neighborhood would be brought in. This attitude shows how insignificant and unimportant women’s football is to the Iranian Football

Sociologist, not a eulogist!

Women have always been a thorn in the eye of society. That is why in other areas of women’s employment, they are asked to remain silent and turn a blind eye. This is while the number of aware and capable women in society is increasing day by day, and trying to close the eyes and ears of women will not help solve the problem. It seems that those who rule over women’s sports in Iran, especially women’s sports, without any specific ability, without any education, and through corruption, are more afraid of the influence of such aware women than anyone else.

Javaheri, in response to a question from ISNA reporter about the main reasons for her deprivation, stated: “I don’t know if it’s deprivation or something else, but last summer, after a few analytical articles and interviews, I was threatened with deprivation and according to the head of the department, my deprivation letter was sent to the secretary general. After that, the head of the department said that

Silence, it is no longer acceptable!

Throughout these years, women in Iranian sports have always been subjected to discrimination and mistreatment, and all of these incidents have been accompanied by the silence of the sports community. However, Asou Javaheri is one of those people who has correctly identified the face of silence and has publicly announced that she will not participate in any illegal and unfair requests. On her personal Instagram page, she has clarified her position on such decisions and wrote: “Threaten me a thousand times or deprive me, it doesn’t matter. I am a sociologist, not a flatterer. Twenty years of my 33-year life have passed in football and I love refereeing, but not at the cost of sacrificing my integrity in any situation!”

The removal of Asou Javaheri due to baseless research is not just one person’s concern, but a common concern in Iranian sports. Therefore, it is necessary for the media and the Iranian sports community, especially men’s sports, not