The start of the World Cup in Qatar is getting closer on the horizon. The most important international soccer event, which will be from November 20 to December 18, raises some questions regarding the access and rights of women in the stadiums due to the existing restrictions in Islamic countries. What will happen in Qatar?
Recently, Iran made headlines because women once again attended a local league soccer match at its main stadium, Tehran’s Azadi. In March of this year, more than 2,000 women who had tickets for the Qualifying match between Iran and Lebanon were left at the turnstiles because they were not allowed to enter.
“In Qatar, we have no restrictions on women’s access to the stadium. They have been attending matches for a long time,” Nasser Al Khater, deputy secretary general of the World Cup Organizing Committee, said as early as 2019.
Wahhabism, one of the interpretations of Sunni Islam, rules in the Asian country. However, unlike other countries, Qatari women have been able to access the stadiums since 1998. At that time, the Qatar Athletics Federation organized for the first time in the country a competition with women’s athletic events, and where attendance was allowed of fans.
Sharia is the Islamic legal system, which in Arabic means “the clear path to the water” and comes from the sacred texts of Muslims. For its application, an interpretation task is necessary, for which several and diverse readings of the text are admitted.
In this sense and in compliance with these mandates, women cannot make their own decisions, but there is a system of male guardianship. This restricts the possibility of leading full, productive and independent lives. They are not allowed to gain custody of their children, must seek permission to work or travel abroad up to a certain age, and receive some forms of reproductive health care.
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