Reuters - Iran has
banned soccer players from sporting ponytails and
sculpted beards as part of a campaign to prevent the
spread of Western culture in the Islamic state, a soccer
federation official says.
The federation said on Thursday those who defied the
order ran the risk of being banned from the game.
"Soccer players with ponytails, hair-band and
sculpted beards will be banned from playing or will be
fined," Navid Majd, head of the federation's public
relations office, told Reuters.
The ban does not apply to long hair.
"The Prophet Mohammad had long hair. We have no
problem with it," Majd said.
Some newspapers reported recently that at least two
soccer players in the Iranian professional league had
received warnings because of their
"inappropriate" hair style. But Majd denied it.
Many Iranians are obsessed with soccer, and soccer
players are considered role models for younger fans.
"We should respect our culture, especially our
sportsmen," Majd said.
Since the 1979 Islamic revolution, conservatives have
continually tried to hold back the tide of Western
cultural influence and promote Islamic values.
A crowd of 110,000 watched a match between Iran and
Germany in Tehran earlier this month. Iranian women were
not allowed to see the match after the football
federation upheld a ban on them entering stadiums even
though women are the Islamic country's most passionate
fans.
