BAHA’I DISQUALIFIED FROM NATIONAL YOUTH JUDO TEAM

Iran Press Watch
July 1st, 2009

The Persian page of Baha’i World News Service (BWNS) reported the
following news on June 25, 2009. Translation by Iran Press Watch:
After repeated appeals to the chair of the Judo Federation in Iran,
on June 15, 2009, Mr. Khashayar Zare’i, a 16 year old Baha’i, was
given permission to participate in qualifying contests for selection
of Iran’s National Judo Team in the youth category. This news was
published on the internet site Iran University Journalists.

Despite the fact that Mr. Zare’i was one of the 21 winners in these
contests, the Judo Commission of the province of Fars disqualified
him from membership in the national team on the grounds that he
was a Baha’i. The Federation officials stated, "In accordance with
instructions issued by the Protection Office of the Physical Education
Organization, Khashayar has been barred from participation in future
competitions."

Last year, Mr. Zare’i was also prevented from participating in youth
competitions at the Asian games.

Further details are available from the Goftman site, based on
unidentified sources, though presumably assembled from information
directly received from the Baha’is of Iran: Khashayar Zare’i is a
sixteen year old Baha’i youth who has been barred from membership in
Iran’s National Youth Judo Team. He is, however, the judo champion
of Iranian youth and for schools across the nation.

Last year, he was selected to represent Iran at the Asian youth judo
tournament in Yemen, but the Iranian Judo Federation declared that
Zare’i could not participate nor be a member of the national team
because he was a Baha’i. This was later confirmed by the coaching staff
of the national team, the Judo Commission of the province of Fars,
and the Protection Office of the Physical Education Organization. The
Protection Office stated that their pronouncement was in conformity
with existing laws, but did not specify which law prohibited Baha’is
from participating in sports competitions.

The recent youth judo trials were held on June 15, 2009, and the
Federation once again perpetrated the same discrimination. That is,
at first the Judo Commission of Fars province refused to allow
Mr. Zare’i credentials in order to enter the tournament. After
considerable follow up, the chair of the Iranian Judo Federation,
Mr. Amini, intervened and declared that no legal grounds existed for
prohibiting Zare’i’s participation.

On the trial day, Zare’i participated in contests and won his
matches. Once again, however, the Federation pronounced that since
Zare’i was a Baha’i, he could not be a member of the national team
nor could he represent Iran at the world championship tournament in
Armenia. The Federation authorities pointed out that the orders had
come from the Protection Office of the Physical Education Organization
and that the Federation had to comply.

The by-laws of the International Judo Federation and other national
Federations indicate that they are non-governmental entities and must
operate independently of politics and any form of discrimination. It
has been emphasized in these by-laws that one of the duties of these
Federations and their auxiliary branches is to safeguard against any
national, religious, ethnic or racial discrimination. It should be
noted that the present religious discrimination in the Judo Federation
not only includes athletic participation, but also bars Baha’is from
being referees or coaches – discrimination which is against the very
spirit of sportsmanship.

This issue clearly indicates that sports in Iran have become
politicized – an situation which is at variance with the by-laws
of the International Olympics Committee as well as Iran’s own
Constitution. This results in a flawed system, as the athletes’
abilities do not determine their success.