Iran: Immoral for soccer players to butt-slap teammates

Speaking of soccer and confusion about which country is more absurd in its oversight of athlete behavior and appearance, Iran has suspended soccer players for slapping each other on the butt. Via the LA Times:

Persepolis defender Mohammad Nosrati swatted the backside of his teammate, Sheys Rezaei, while celebrating a goal Saturday in a nationally televised match.

Both players insisted the fanny pat was meant as a fun gesture. But the Iranian football federation’s disciplinary committee didn’t see the humor. The panel suspended the pair on charges of immoral offense until further notice.

More players may face suspensions, the disciplinary committee said.

I wish that this was a just a nanny-state problem. But, when dealing with Iran, that really is the case.

Immoral ... really? If Iran thinks so, that means that must mean that think there is something gay about teammates congratulating each other with a butt slap—that it is, in effect, a PDA. That’s a pretty weighty charge in a country that executes homosexuals by stoning.