Iran will “seriously confront” a decision by football’s ruling body FIFA to prevent the Iranian women’s football team playing in Islamic outfits, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Tuesday.
“I ordered to follow up the issue and we will seriously confront the decision by dictators who just wear the gown of democracy,” Mr. Ahmadinejad said in a press conference in Tehran.
Iran is protesting a decision by FIFA to cancel a 2012 Olympics qualifier in Jordan because of the Iranian players’ Islamic outfits, state media had reported Sunday.
FIFA declared Friday’s game in Amman a 3—0 victory for Jordan after Iranian authorities refused to play if their players could not wear headscarves and tracksuits.
Women in Iran are obliged to respect the hijab — Islamic dress code — and wear a long gown and scarf to conceal body contours and hair in public.
FIFA Monday rejected an Iranian protest and said Iran had been informed in advance that the hijab would not be allowed for safety reasons.
The decision by the Bahraini FIFA observer to cancel the game was in line with its laws and regulations, it said.
