World Cup: Iranians in Los Angeles divided on whether to cheer or jeer Iran

Summary

Los Angeles – From saffron-flavoured ICE (immigration enforcement agency) cream parlours to kabob shops and Farsi-language bookstores, it does not take long to see signs of the Iranian community in Los Angeles’s Westwood neighbourhood. And with Iran’s pre-1979-revolution lion-and-sun flag on display across the area, alongside the occasional portrait of opposition figure Reza Pahlavi, the community’s stance against the Iranian government also becomes apparent. Several protests have already taken place against the participation of Iran – known as Team Melli – in the tournament . But as the Iranian national team prepares to kick off its World Cup in Los Angeles on Monday, business owner Roozbeh Farahanipour says Iranian Americans’ position on Team Melli is more nuanced than what the visuals may suggest. “The community is divided,” Farahanipour told Al Jazeera. Some opposition activists view the squad as an extension of the governing system in Tehran, and are planning protests outside the stadium in Los Angeles. But many other Iranian Americans just want to watch the game and are putting politics aside. Opposition to the Iranian government runs deep in Westwood. Known as Tehrangeles, the area is a stronghold for supporters of Pahlavi, the son of Iran’s last monarch who was toppled by the 1979 revolution that established the Islamic republic. Team Melli was not allowed to stay in the US and had to set up base in neighbouring Mexico, despite having all of its group stage matches on the other side of the border – two in Los Angeles and one in Seattle. She argued that after the failure of the US-Israel war to dislodge the governing system in Tehran, some Iranian Americans are channelling their anger at Team Melli players. “Where you feel helpless and you feel like you don’t have any power to make a difference where it really counts, you look for any other venues where you can insert yourself,” Farokhnia said. “And it just happens to be that the FIFA game is happening, so the players are getting all the hate.” Iranian head coach Amir Ghalenoei told reporters on Sunday that his team wants to represent all Iranians at home and abroad when asked about anticipated protests by Iranian Americans. “I am very happy to be representing the strong and proud nation of Iran,” he said. “I hope that football will bring about joy and enjoyment and will bring closer cultures and countries, and I hope the World Cup will go well despite the travel problems we had.” Iranian fans have also faced a travel ban by the US.