Religious Discrimination in Iranian Sports

Khashayar Zarei is a sixteen year old Iranian Baha’i. He is the judo champion of the Iranian youth and the national schools champion but he cannot be a member of the national team. Last year he was picked to represent Iran in the Asian youth judo tournament in Yemen but the Iranian Judo Federation declared that Zarei could not be a member of the national team because he was a Baha’i. This was later confirmed by the national coaching staff, the coaching staff of the Fars province and the Protection Office of the Sports Organization. The Protection Office found that Zarei’s participation in international tournaments would be against the law. The Office did not specify what law prohibits Baha’is from representing Iran in sports tournaments.

The Iranian youth judo trials this year was held on June 15, 2009. At first, the Fars Province Judo Commission did not issue Zarei credentials for entering the tournament. After some controversies, the chair of the Iranian Judo Federation, Mr. Amini, found no legal grounds prohibiting Zarei’s participation. Zarei entered the trials and won all his matches. Once again, however, the Federation found that since Zarei was a Baha’i, he could not be in the national team nor could he represent Iran in the world championship tournament in Armenia. The Federation authorities pointed out that the orders had come from the Protection Office and that the Federation was without authority to act.

The by-laws of the International Judo Federation and other national federations indicate that these organizations must operate independently of politics and be free of national, religious, ethnic or racial discriminations. Iranian constitution and the by-laws of the international Olympics Committee also do not allow religious discrimination. The discrimination against the Baha’is is not limited to the athletes as they are also prohibited from getting judo coaching or refereeing credentials. This is against the spirit of judo.

Issues like the discrimination against the Baha’is demonstrate that sports in Iran are politicized. This results in a flawed system as the athletes’ abilities do not determine their success.