Sport, the Bastion of Identity and National Resilience in War: Explaining the Cultural and Strategic Dimensions of Protecting Sports Facilities

March 17, 1404 (March 8, 2026) | 01:07 – Code: 3708 – Deputy for Cultural and Social Affairs – News and Events – Views: 17
https://ssrc.ac.ir/fa/news/3708

Hojjatoleslam wal-Muslimeen Dr. Abdolhossein Khosropanah participated in the virtual meeting "Activism of the Sports Community on the Management of the Effects and Consequences of War on Sports Facilities and Programs."

Sport, the Bastion of Identity and National Resilience in War: Explaining the Cultural and Strategic Dimensions of Protecting Sports Facilities

According to the Public Relations Department of the Institute of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, the Secretary of the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution, at this virtual meeting organized by the Institute of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, elaborated on the cultural, social, and strategic dimensions of damage to sports facilities and infrastructure in wartime conditions, as well as the role of the sports community in strengthening resilience and national cohesion.

He began his remarks as follows:

In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
"Permission [to fight] has been given to those who are being fought, because they were wronged. And indeed, God is competent to give them victory." (Quran 22:39)

Peace be upon you and God's mercy.

At the outset of my speech, I bow my forehead in gratitude to the Almighty for keeping the heroic nation of Iran steadfast and unwavering during this great historical turning point. In these days when the fragrance of martyrdom and epic courage flows through the veins of this land, I raise my hands in prayer for the brave and valiant warriors of Islam — those lionhearted men who, on the front lines of battle, have shielded their chests against the savage onslaught of global arrogance and the bloodthirsty Zionist regime. O Almighty God, by the right of the pure blood that has been shed, grant our warriors' arms — which have conquered Khaybar — added strength, sharpen their vision, steady their steps, and bestow upon them Your near victory and conquest. We await the day when the cry of ultimate victory echoes from the minarets of holy Jerusalem.

1. Philosophical Elucidation: Sport as "Embodied Wisdom" and a Sphere of Activism
Today we have gathered in this "sports community activism" meeting not for a ceremonial dialogue, but to explain a "wise governance" in times of crisis. From the perspective of "monotheistic rationality," sport is not merely a game or physical competition; it is the arena for the manifestation of "chivalry" and "national power." We consider sport to be "embodied wisdom." When a society is engaged in war, an athlete is not just a medal winner; he or she is a "national activist" who injects vitality and hope into the beating heart of society.

2. Cultural Anatomy of Damage to Sports Facilities: Why Does the Enemy Strike "Structures"?
The focus of my speech is the "cultural dimensions of damage to sports facilities." When the enemy attacks the national Azadi Stadium, the shooting federation building, or polo infrastructure, it is not seeking to destroy concrete and steel; it seeks to destroy our "identity‑forming architecture."

In modern social science, a stadium is a "collective life." The enemy knows that the stadium is a place of "unity of multitudes" — where different ethnic groups of Iran shout out a cry of defiance under one flag and with one voice. Destroying sports facilities is, in fact, an attempt to "render homeless the culture of joy" and replace it with "collective trauma." This is a cultural war crime that must be investigated in international courts.

3. The Narrative of Oppression and Epic Heroism
Here we must remember those dear ones who attained the rank of martyrdom in these brutal attacks. We mourn the martyrdom of more than 18 young female volleyball players in Lamerd, 11 brave athletes from Khuzestan, 9 proud athletes in West Azerbaijan, and two ethical judokas from Isfahan. But pay attention: the martyrdom of these dear ones is not merely a human toll; it is the "assassination of hope." When that lifeguard athlete is martyred in the aggressors' attacks, the enemy has in fact targeted the "culture of rescue and sacrifice." The enemy seeks to show that even the realm of sport and salvation is unsafe in Iran, thereby inflicting a "strategic shock" on the sports community. Our duty in "sports community activism" is to turn this mourning into an "epic of resistance."

4. Cognitive Warfare; from "Unit 8200" to "Sports Terrorism"
In cyberspace we are facing a form of "neuro‑engineering." Through artificial intelligence and the production of fake content, the enemy seeks to instill a sense of defeat in our athletes.

Audio and video forgery: By disseminating fake messages attributed to officials or commanders, the enemy seeks to create "analytical paralysis" in the sports community.

Platform apartheid: While images of Zionist crimes in stadiums are censored, demoralising content against our national teams is amplified by Instagram and X algorithms.

5. The Epic of Loyalty: Defeating the "Forced Asylum" Project
One of the most complex layers of this war was the pressure on athletes to leave their homeland. In days when the enemy, through threats and inducements, pursued a "project of asylum" for our daughters, the epic return of our young women's national football team from Australia was a "cultural slap" in the face of arrogance. The enemy even went so far that the US President, by instilling fear, tried to prevent these heroes from returning. But these lionesses and brave men showed that "Iran" is an integrated truth that will not collapse under the threats of Trump and Netanyahu. That return was the highest form of "sports community activism."

6. Cultural Functions of Sport in Wartime Conditions
In the current situation, sport has three fundamental functions:

Cohesion‑building function: Turning threats into an opportunity to strengthen national solidarity.

Resilience function: Continuing competitions and sports activities demonstrates being "alive" and "normalising authority" in the face of the enemy's hollow grandeur.

Media function: Each of our athletes in international sports arenas is a "living medium" to explain Iran's oppression and power.

7. Proposals for the Continuation of Activism by the Sports Community in Crisis
As Secretary of the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution, I propose the following for the continued intelligent activism of the sports community in crisis conditions:

A) In the legal and international domain:

Establishing a legal secretariat for "war crimes against sport": Formally pursuing the destruction of Iran's sports facilities in international bodies such as the IOC, UNESCO, and the Hague Court.

Complaining against sports apartheid: Protesting the double standards of international federations in dealing with Iran versus the Zionist regime.

Drafting a protocol for "protection of athletes in crisis zones" in cooperation with like‑minded international bodies.

B) In the infrastructure and management domain:
4. The "symbolic reconstruction" project: Rebuilding damaged sports facilities with cultural and artistic components (turning part of the ruins into museums of sports resistance).
5. Special facilities for the families of martyred athletes: Creating educational and sports scholarships for the children of these dear ones.
6. Enhancing security and passive defence of sports facilities: Equipping major stadiums with advanced protection systems against electronic and physical attacks, and drafting protection protocols for special conditions to safeguard athletes' lives.

C) In the cultural and activism domain:
7. Launching a "global campaign of athletes against war" with the focus on freedom‑loving athletes of the world and caring coaches (such as the Italian head coach of the national volleyball team).
8. Producing documentaries "The Narrative of Sports Victory": Recording the moments of athletes' return from international arenas under peak enemy pressure.
9. Drafting a document on "ethical‑political activism of athletes" at the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution for legal support of the patriotic stances of our heroes.
10. Special support for national media, VODs, and new media: Producing attractive sports content to counter "cognitive warfare" in cyberspace.

D) In the educational and training domain:
11. Developing special resources and media literacy workshops for athletes: Teaching national team members how to distinguish truth from fabrication.
12. Empowering coaches as "cognitive warfare officers": A coach must be able to maintain team morale against online rumours.
13. Holding "sports pilgrimage‑to‑the‑front" camps: Athletes visiting damaged areas to witness the reality of the enemy's aggression.

E) In the social support domain:
14. Establishing a support fund for "resistance athletes": Financial support for those who come under Western media pressure because of their revolutionary stances.
15. Using the capacity of "patriotic celebrities": Networking among athletes to respond quickly to doubts spread in cyberspace.
16. Holding sports competitions in damaged areas: To restore a spirit of hope and vitality to the people of those regions.
17. National honouring of "the epic‑makers of return": Heroes who rejected asylum should be introduced as role models on national media.
18. Parallel diplomacy: Using the capacity of veterans to negotiate with sports bodies of aligned countries in BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
19. Launching a "sports threats observatory": Early identification of enemy projects against our federations.
20. Collective prayer and enhancing spirituality: Promoting the culture of trust in God and supplication in national team camps as a pillar of resilience in the face of crisis.

Conclusion:
Our Iran, today more than ever, needs "conscious activism." The sports community has shown that it will not abandon the field. We will not forsake the blood of our martyred athletes, and we will defend every inch of our stadiums. Let the enemy know that by destroying "Azadi" (Freedom), it will not take away our freedom; rather, it will make us more determined on the path to achieving a "new Islamic civilisation."

O God, grant victory to the warriors of Islam, illuminate our eyes with the peerless beauty of the Lord of the Age (may God hasten his reappearance), and perpetuate the shadow of the Supreme Leader over us.

"And We wanted to confer favour upon those who were oppressed in the land and make them leaders and make them the inheritors" (Quran 28:5)

And peace be upon you, along with God's mercy and blessings.