International structures lost their moral standards in confronting the Zionist regime's athletes

Tehran (Qodsna) - A symposium on the need to participate in international competitions and strategies to neutralize the Iranian sports sanctions was held on Sunday, hosted by the Iran-based Society for the Defense of the Palestinian Nation (SDPN).

On the sidelines of this symposium, a ceremony was held to introduce the new head of the sports branch of the SDPN. The meeting was also attended by a representative of the Islamic Jihad movement and a representative of the Ministry of Sports and Youth.

Dr. Hossein Ruivaran, the head of the political commission of the SDPN, said during the meeting: "One of the most important issues related to sports in the current situation is the falling of moral standards in the international arena regarding the Zionist regime."

“In the 1960s and 1970s, we saw representatives of two apartheid regimes in international sports, at which time every athlete faced them, was fined, and the world never accepted racism,” he added.

“Because the world did not accept apartheid, athletes who violated it were severely beaten by sports organizations,” Ruivaran stressed, adding that “in the current situation, unfortunately, we are witnessing the opposite of this issue, and any athlete or team that does not face the Zionists will be subject to sanctions. This represents a moral collapse that has taken place in the sports sector in the world, which unfortunately started in the Middle East.”

He then underlined that it is essential to revive that international position, and it is possible due to the anti-Zionist atmosphere prevailing in the UN General Assembly.

Referring to the racist behavior of Zionists against Palestinians, Ruivaran further explained that “the racist behavior of the Zionist regime is visible at all levels; from construction in the West Bank and Jerusalem to other areas, including the siege of Gaza. For example, it is possible for Zionists to live anywhere in the occupied territories, but the Palestinians even don’t have a construction permit for their own lands.”

“We must work to change this situation in the international sports arena to bring back the anti-Zionist atmosphere during the 60s and 70s,” he said.

In the next part of the session, Nasser Abu Sharif, the representative of the Islamic Jihad movement, said: "Since the beginning of its fake establishment, the Zionist regime has tried to be present in all scenes, in order to establish its recognition."

“In recent decades, they have tried to impose themselves on the international community by using extensive facilities, Zionist pressure groups, and lobbies,” he added.

Abu Sharif further talked about Israel’s influence in different sectors, saying that “in the Olympic Games, Zionist lobbies tried to impose the regime's sporting presence by using its flag and anthem.”

“Another issue is about Arab and Islamic countries, which unfortunately facilitated the Zionist regime's sports presence. This is a scandal for the Arab countries. We must revive the past trend in which sports confrontation with the Zionists was reprehensible and ugly,” the Palestinian official stressed.

The meeting was followed by the speech of Mehdi Shakibaei, Deputy Secretary-General of the SDPN, saying that "In recent years, the issue of our athletes not facing the Zionist athletes has become more heated, because more news has been published in cyberspace.”

“The Zionist regime's sports diplomacy has become so active that even if they encounter an Iranian athlete once, they try to take a souvenir photo and immediately trumpet it in the international media,” Shakibai further explained.

In this meeting, Hamid Masoumi, one of the directors of the Federation of Public Sports, said on the necessity of comprehensive measures in this regard: " One of the most important measures must be taken in the field of international law, and lawyers must examine the legal ways to deal with the arbitrary actions of the world's sports structures and offer a solution.”

“Also, identifying the world's athletes who have refused to compete with the representatives of the Zionist regime and creating a wave of support for them within their countries as well as at the international level can provide some favorable grounds for limiting the Zionists' influence in sports structures,” he further noted.