Iran’s prosecutor has said there will be no repeat of women watching football matches in the country after around 100 women were allowed the rare privilege of doing just that this week.

Women have been banned from attending football matches since the 1979 revolution with the belief that women watching men in shorts and a t-shirt will ‘lead to sin’.

Sigh.

“I object to the presence of women in Azadi Stadium yesterday. We are a Muslim state, we are Muslims,” Mohammad Montazeri said.

“We will deal with any official who wants to allow women inside stadiums under any pretext,” he added.

“When a woman goes to a stadium and is faced with half-naked men in sports clothes and sees them it will lead to sin.”

In an incredibly rare step, some women were allowed to watch their country take on Bolivia in a friendly, however, this will not be repeated.

iran v bolivia female supporters 2
Iranian women cheer during the friendly football match between Iran and Bolivia at the Azadi Stadium in Tehran on October 16, 2018. (Photo by STR / AFP)

“If this is repeated I will order the Tehran prosecutor to act,” Montazeri added.

I don’t need to highlight how completely ridiculous this is, but I’m going to do it anyway.

Women don’t need to be protected by men, then need to be protected from them.

Every restriction that is placed on women in the name of keeping them safe or ‘pure’ exists only because men cannot be trusted not to be rapey, abusive scumbags.

That women continue to pay the price for the wrongs of men will forever be one of the greatest shames of our species.

That FIFA allow one of their members to act in this manner and still participate on the world stage is a disgrace that should embarrass us all.

I don’t care what you claim your religion dictates. If it tells you to limit the human rights of anyone else, it as wrong as are you for following it.