Fans attending the World Cup werenât happy to hear the anthem of one team.
Loud boos resonated at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha, Qatar, on Monday as the Iranian National anthem played.
Iranâs players even declined to sing along to the Iranian anthem.
The athletes stood expressionless as the anthem played over a stadium sound system.
Some Iranian fans at the match could be seen booing the anthem.
The playersâ refusal to sing the words of the anthem was considered an act of protest against Iranâs regime by many.
In comparison, Englandâs players sang their own countryâs National anthem before they took the pitch to compete against Iran in the World Cup match, according to NPR.
The current National anthem of Iran is closely connected to the countryâs Islamist dictatorship and draws little otherwise from the ancient history of Persian civilization.
Public discontent with the Shia Islamist regime has reached a fever pitch in Iran, with the countryâs citizens torching the birthplace of Ayatollah Khomeini, who led the revolution to overthrow the countryâs previous western-friendly monarchy.
Iranian dissidents oppose the countryâs clerical government, as well as draconian policies that require women to wear Islamic head coverings in all public places.
The countryâs regime has resorted to sentencing protestors to death in response to the unrest, according to the BBC.
Iranian athletes have become figureheads of the countryâs opposition, often afforded opportunities to make statements against Ayatollah Ali Khameneiâs regime through their international sporting appearances.
One Iranian competitive rock climber seemingly disappeared after competing at an event in South Korea without an Islamic Hijab head covering last month.
England won Mondayâs match 6-2, with Iranâs goalkeeper having to leave the contest after an injury early in the match.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.