Iranian Women's Soccer Team in Australia

Lilac

Lilac

Well-known Member
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Flyover Country
https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/09/sport/australia-iran-women-soccer-asian-cup-intl-hnk

5 Iranian women soccer players flee hotel, seek asylum in Australia, exiled crown prince says

Five Iranian women footballers 'in Australian safe house' after Asian Cup protest

Five members of the Iranian soccer team fled their hotel & are now with the police apparently in fear of being forced to return to Iran. This was after the players stood silent before their first match during their national anthem which hardliners in Iran consider a sign of treason. CNN sources were told they were forced to sing before their second match & to give a military salute.

Supporters of the women are afraid that even though they cannot fly back directly to Iran, the team could be sent to other countries like China, Russia or Malaysia to be held. It's also feared that once they return to Iran, they will face sever punishment for being not showing loyalty to the regime. Others are calling for the Australian government to keep them safe & give them asylum.
 
Lilac said:
https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/09/sport/australia-iran-women-soccer-asian-cup-intl-hnk

5 Iranian women soccer players flee hotel, seek asylum in Australia, exiled crown prince says

Five Iranian women footballers 'in Australian safe house' after Asian Cup protest

Five members of the Iranian soccer team fled their hotel & are now with the police apparently in fear of being forced to return to Iran. This was after the players stood silent before their first match during their national anthem which hardliners in Iran consider a sign of treason. CNN sources were told they were forced to sing before their second match & to give a military salute.

Supporters of the women are afraid that even though they cannot fly back directly to Iran, the team could be sent to other countries like China, Russia or Malaysia to be held. It's also feared that once they return to Iran, they will face sever punishment for being not showing loyalty to the regime. Others are calling for the Australian government to keep them safe & give them asylum.
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Let's hope so. I understand these women ❤️
 
correct we are a multi - religious; multi- nationality country who welcomes all genuine new comers - we have a chequered history - short time and amazing one long term - and now consider ourselves multicultural ; in some cases we recognize dual nationality citizens and their passports
 
Sadly, that something that has happened through out history with leaders who abuse & kill their people without a second thought. It's another way for them to control their own citizens.

If my daughter had a chance to escape & have a chance to live in freedom, I would want her to take it & not look back. I wouldn't want her to worry about me ... she would have her whole life ahead of her & in a much better place that she would be returning to. With her living her life as she sees fit, it would be worth it for me.
 
Latest update:-

As the Iranian women's team jogged off the field of the Gold Coast's Robina Stadium on Sunday night, Australian officials were waiting for them. Their purpose was to signal in the strongest possible terms that if any of the young women wanted to talk, there were people standing by to help.

Establishing contact with the players was the first of several hurdles that had to be overcome for Australia to pull off the events that followed in the next 24 hours. Discussions with players began in earnest in the early hours yesterday when it became clear five members of the team wanted asylum.

When the women slipped away from their minders last night, Australian Federal Police and Queensland Police were there to escort them. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke met the group about 9pm to sign their applications for temporary humanitarian visas, ending an agonising period for the athletes, who had been in the spotlight since they were labelled "traitors" on Iranian state TV for not singing the national anthem before a game.

By 1:30am today, the paperwork had been processed. In the early hours, in a secure location in Brisbane, the five footballers broke into a spontaneous cry of "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie!" as they watched Mr Burke sign the documents.

Until this point, the government had been tight-lipped about its attempt to offer the athletes asylum, even as US President Donald Trump rubbished Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on social media for failing to protect them.

But Mr Burke said the government's silence had been part of a delicate operation to enable the players to safely express a desire to stay in Australia.

Opposition leader Angus Taylor said the Coalition supported the decision, crediting the women for showing "enormous courage".

"Every reasonable Australian would want a good outcome for their safety and for their future," he said. "These women are great athletes, great people, and they are going to very much feel at home in Australia," he said.

How a daring escape by Iranian soccer players secured their asylum in Australia
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Now that the monarchy has returned to Iran, who else will be bailing out soon?

Iran is following in the steps of the North Koreans. One family rule, nukes, lower standard of living, suppression of unapproved thinking, etc. What a shame.
 
Brookswood said:
Now that the monarchy has returned to Iran, who else will be bailing out soon?

Iran is following in the steps of the North Koreans. One family rule, nukes, lower standard of living, suppression of unapproved thinking, etc. What a shame.
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This is how I understand the situation.
The monarchy, i.e. the grandson of the Shah of Persia, is waiting in the wings. He is not in Iran. Unless the Iranian people overthrow the system that exists in Iran, he is not likely to ever return to rule as a Shah.

The new supreme leader that has been chosen is the son of the Ayatollah that was taken out in the first days of attack. I suppose you could call that a monarchy but his ascension was not automatic.
 
He might be in a coma and not even know he has been elected, disfigured, or unable to talk. A recording could have easily been made in a secret place by now.

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I feel bad for those girls. They must feel terrible with making their choice to stay in Australia with the possibility of their family possibly being punished. I don’t know which I would decide, but I think I would have to be in their position to make a compelling decision.
 
This regime doesn't hold the same values for life that we do in the west. Western values that is taken for granted here, doesn't exist there.
I'm not sure how it can be believed that if they go back everything will be okay for them & their families & nothing will happen.

IMO, thinking the current Iranian government will treat this team fairly when they return isn't grounded in reality especially after what we have seen happen to the protesters who took to the streets since the end of December. The team not only publicly, but internationally took a stance against the IR.

The people running the show over there don't care about women because in their minds, they are nothing more than chattel. They don't have rights that they can exercise let alone be allowed to make their own decisions. Your life is determined by your father or brother before you are married & then it is determined by your husband.

This is an AI generated answer for Iranian women who play sports:

Restrictions for Married Women​

  • Travel Restrictions: Married women need their husband's permission to leave the country, which can affect their ability to participate in international sports events.
  • Cultural Norms: Societal expectations often discourage married women from engaging in public sports, as traditional views prioritize family responsibilities over personal pursuits.
The last portion, Cultural Norms, makes we wonder how many of these women are actually mothers who were allowed by their husband to leave the household & go out of the country to play. We probably won't get the answer to that.

Disagree with the ones running Iran & you pretty much have a death sentence whether being shot on the streets or taken to a prison where no one ever hears from you again.

Sadly, I don't think it will be any different for these women.
 
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