Three Names and an Incidence
What does the name Sahar mean?
What does Azadi mean?
What is the meaning of Esteghlal?
What is the common link between these names?
Sahar is a feminine name of Persian/ Arabic origin, meaning ‘Just before dawn’. It also has an extended meaning- ‘The Awakening’.
Azadi is a word of Persian origin, meaning ‘Freedom or Liberty’.
Esteghlal is
another word of Persian origin- ‘Independence’.
The common link between these three words is FATE. Fate of a football fan who had to die for her passion, the BLUE GIRL, for a football club, which was her favorite team. Fate of a stadium which witnessed the apathy, and also the wind of change.
I came across an article few weeks back- a story which we all had heard of, a story which saddened all our hearts. But, what struck me were the names.
Sahar Khodayari was the girl arrested in Iran for trying to watch a football match in disguise of a man. Watching football in stadium was banned for women in Iran for the past four decades. When she learned that she could be jailed for the “crime”, she killed herself as a mark of protest. She died on 9/9/2019.
Sahar’s death resulted in “the Awakening” of people, other women and FIFA. The players of Esteghlal football club supported this demand of women for “Independence” to watch their favorite game like any other woman in the world. The result of all the pressure was “Liberty” witnessed at the Azadi stadium.
Sahar’s sacrifice didn’t go in vain. On 9/10/2019, one month after the death of the Blue Girl (the color of the jersey of her favorite team), there was an International match in the same Azadi stadium in Tehran. It was a world cup qualifier between Iran and Cambodia, which Iran won easily. But, it would be remembered best for the presence of about 4000 Iranian women who witnessed their favorite game in the stadium for the first time since 1981.
Sad that Sahar could not witness this wind of change brought in by her sacrifice. But, every heart in the stadium must have prayed for her, and this story will continue to inspire wherever such inequalities exist.
