09/07/26 01:27:00
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09/07 01:23 CDT Iranian soccer players who sought asylum in Australia say
anthem silence was protest against Tehran
Iranian soccer players who sought asylum in Australia say anthem silence was
protest against Tehran
By ROD McGUIRK
Associated Press
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) --- Two members of the Iranian women's soccer team
who claimed asylum in Australia have confirmed their pivotal refusal to sing
the national anthem during the Women's Asian Cup in March was a protest against
Tehran.
The first media interview with Atefeh Ramezanisadeh, 34, and Fatemeh
Pasandideh, 22, since they abandoned their team to become refugees was
broadcast Sunday on Australia's "60 Minutes" current affairs program.
"We just wanted to stand with our people. I was scared at times, but I just
tried to do what was right and say that no one should be killed just for
protesting," Ramezanisadeh told Nine Network through an interpreter.
The team was criticized in Iran and branded as traitors in the media there for
remaining silent when the Iranian national anthem was played ahead of their
opening loss against South Korea on March 2.
Some saw it as an act of resistance, while others interpreted it as a show of
mourning following the U.S. and Israeli attacks on their homeland which began
on Feb. 28. The team offered no public explanation.
The gesture led to demonstrators demanding the team be offered asylum in
Australia before leaving Sydney on March 10.
Ramezanisadeh and Pasandideh said they were protesting Tehran's brutal
crackdown on nationwide demonstrations against Iran's theocratic rule.
Ramezanisadeh said her silence "could have meant any form of torture" for her.
"But at that moment, the only thing that gave me peace and a clear conscience
was not singing it. I wanted to sing the anthem with pride and from my heart.
But because of the situation in Iran, I really couldn't do it," she said.
Pasandideh said through an interpreter of her own silence: "My people put their
lives on the line and they were killed. Doing that was the absolute least we
could do for them."
Australian Immigration Minister Tony Burke said none of the team had been
offered asylum at that time.
"At that point, they had absolutely no information from us about the
possibility of being able to stay," Burke said.
"The silence of itself was deeply significant," he said. "The reaction was the
volcanic moment."
The stakes were raised when U.S. President Donald Trump used social media to
call for the team to be granted asylum and telephoned Australian Prime Minister
Anthony Albanese on the issue.
Albanese told Trump that four players and a team manager had at that stage
accepted offers of humanitarian visas.
Seven members of the team eventually accepted Australia's offer of asylum, but
all soon changed their minds except for Ramezanisadeh and Pasandideh. They both
now play for the Wynnum Wolves semi-professional soccer team in the city of
Brisbane and were made Australian citizens in August.
Ramezanisadeh said her parents had asked her to return under the instructions
of Iranian authorities.
"They tried to reassure me, saying: ?Nothing will happen to you. This is your
home. You must return home.' But I told them my mind was made up and I was not
coming back," Ramezanisadeh said.
"Thinking that I might never be able to see my family again was heartbreaking,
but I couldn't allow myself to be indifferent while so many young people were
being killed by this regime. I couldn't stay silent, even though I miss my
family so much," she added.
Both women said they had not been in contact with their families in recent
months, but understood relatives had not been punished.
Pasandideh said she had never asked her teammates whether they had wanted to
return to Iran or had been forced to.
"We decided not to talk because I don't want to put their lives in danger,"
Pasandideh said.
"One of my biggest dreams is to be able to go back to Iran, but in different
circumstances when the situation in Iran has changed and the people of Iran are
happy and thriving. Then I will go back and see my family," she added.
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