Son Of Iran's Taekwondo Boss Defects To Bulgaria

[Musalman]

Farzad Zolqadri (L) and his father Gholam Reza - FILE PHOTOS
A new, high profile athletic defection from Iran shows that what started as a trickle one year ago is turning into a serious issue for the country's sports and its hopes for the next Olympic games.

Several internationally competitive athletes have defected since last September and will play for countries, such as Canada, Germany and even Mongolia.

However, none of these defections shocked Iranians as much as the announcement of a former member of Iran's Taekwondo national team, Farzad Zolqadri (Zolghadri) this week who disclosed that he has been naturalized in Bulgaria and would represent his new country in world events.

A former captain of Iran's junior taekwondo national team, Zolqadri will fight for Bulgaria on February 18 in an international tournament in Sweden.

Zolqadri's defection is quite unprecedented since he is the son of an influential figure in the Islamic Republic Taekwondo Federation.

Farzad's father, Gholam Reza Zolqadri, has been an outspoken critic of Iranian athletes defecting and seeking asylum in another country.

Dismissing the asylum seekers as traitors, Zolqadri senior said four years ago, "Those who take refuge in other countries are after showing off, placing themselves at the center stage, pocketing foreigners’ money, and disowning their national flag."

Nonetheless, Zolqadri has not yet reacted to his son's defection.

One major reason for these defections is a policy by the Islamic republic not to allow athletes to compete against Israelis. The policy is not based on any official law or government decision, but it is regularly enforced.

Judo superstar and gold medalist, Saeid Mollaei, decided to defect in August and since has decided to for Mongolia.

Mollaei complained that Iranian authorities instructed him to withdraw from Judo's World Championships to avoid fighting against an Israeli athlete.

He lost a match in apparent indifference, not to face an Israeli judoka. The International Judo Federation suspended Iran from international competitions in September.

https://en.radiofarda.com/a/son-of-iran-s-taekwondo-boss-defects-to-bulgaria/30397583.html

Must be for economic reasons, otherwise I don't think Iran restrict travel of its citizen. Its unfortunate these people tarnish the image of their country. Pakistan has a fair share of these economic traitors getting asylum on political basis in European countries.

 

[Old School]

They have the most regrets of all.

They have become Trump supporters in my state.

 

[mangekyo]

I never met any Iranian in the US who was happy to come here. Most have deep regrets and desire to go back home.

That’s my personal experience too. They regret it and want to go back to Iran. But many of them go to such lengths to come to the west that they can’t return back to Iran. That’s why so many of them wants regime change, so they can go back to Iran.

They have become Trump supporters in my state.

Yes. They want regime change so they can go back to Iran

 

[Old School]

That’s my personal experience too. They regret it and want to go back to Iran. But many of them go to such lengths to come to the west that they can’t return back to Iran. That’s why so many of them wants regime change, so they can go back to Iran.


Yes. They want regime change so they can go back to Iran

These are very rich people though. They travel in the airlines first class, stay in 10k per night hotel. They are not working class Iranian. They have the money to lobby for a regime change.

 

[mangekyo]

I have noticed many of them who dislike the Islamic government not because of its foreign policy but because it doesn’t let them partying drinking and go naked on beaches and not because of its dictatorship otherwise they wouldn’t worship the oppressive shah regime but they like them because during his time Iranians were allowed to act like wannabe westerners.
@Shapur Zol Aktaf

That’s not true. You can party and drink in Iran if you know how. It’s not difficult at all. They have fallen for US propaganda and thinks US wants whats best for Iran and Iranians, but the only obstacle in between is the Islamic government. They don’t know US wants to turn Iran into another Syria and Afghanistan. They think if the Islamic government goes away they will all become billionaires and live the Hollywood lifestyle

 

[Pan-Islamic-Pakistan]

They have become Trump supporters in my state.

It is similar to how Ahmadiyyas who come to US cannot stop talking about Pakistan and Pakistanis.

They have an obsession which is born of regret, which makes them go to extreme against their own country.

Rabia al Basri said, "You keep deriding the world (dunya) claiming that you left it behind, but if you did, you would never mention it again."

 

[Imran Khan]

good for him its free world

 

[Old School]

It is similar to how Ahmadiyyas who come to US cannot stop talking about Pakistan and Pakistanis.

They have an obsession which is born of regret, which makes them go to extreme against their own country.

Rabia al Basri said, "You keep deriding the world (dunya) claiming that you left it behind, but if you did, you would never mention it again."

It reminds me of Ahmed Chalabi, the late Iraqi con man who manufacturered fake evidence of WMD prior to the invasion of Iraq in 2003. Then we have our own ex ambassador Hussain Haqqani.

 

[mangekyo]

It is similar to how Ahmadiyyas who come to US cannot stop talking about Pakistan and Pakistanis.

They have an obsession which is born of regret, which makes them go to extreme against their own country.

Rabia al Basri said, "You keep deriding the world (dunya) claiming that you left it behind, but if you did, you would never mention it again."

Life in our country are too different to life in Europe. Yes in Europe you can go out party and drink all night, you can wear whatever you want. But our countries have different kind of freedom. People don't live like robots, they are not dependent on debt and loans, its a much more warm and friendly environment. People have more soul, here everyone is like a robot. Its difficult to get used to living here if you come from our parts of the world.

 

[dani92]

That’s not true. You can party and drink in Iran if you know how. It’s not difficult at all. They have fallen for US propaganda and thinks US wants whats best for Iran and Iranians, but the only obstacle in between is the Islamic government. They don’t know US wants to turn Iran into another Syria and Afghanistan. They think if the Islamic government goes away they will all become billionaires and live the Hollywood lifestyle

Yes I know what you mean but I was talking about the ones who want to do it in public places and make Iranian Society a western society.

 

[mangekyo]

Yes I know what you mean but I was talking about the ones who want to do it in public places and make Iranian Society a western society.

Those are mostly second-third generation Iranians that grew up in western societies. They claim to be ultra nationalists but at least those I have come across knows absolutely 0 about Iranian culture and history. They are very pathetic. The only people I sympathize with are first generation Iranians that experienced the revolution. It must be difficult for them to experience their country being turned upside down so fast.

 

[Longhorn]

Or freedom of travel and asylum. Depends on who you ask.

If an athlete 'defects' this means that he just does not want to go back to Iran and wants to start a new life abroad. This happens all around the world and all the time.

However, if it was someone who defected from Iran's nuclear program or the government, there can be instances where it can be a 'defection' or a traitor because he can do things against the national security of the country.

How can you call an athlete a 'defector'? Will he spill out some athletic secrets to the West relating to Taekwondo?
These news are just written by biased journalists who want to convince the world that Iran is some kind of hell from where people want to break free.

It's not about starting a new life abroad, that is called emigration.
It's about allegiance to one's country or cause.
If someone goes to another country and offers to transfer political allegiance in exchange for asylum then they are a defector regardless of their profession or intelligence value.

 

[Parsipride]

Must be for economic reasons, otherwise I don't think Iran restrict travel of its citizen. Its unfortunate these people tarnish the image of their country. Pakistan has a fair share of these economic traitors getting asylum on political basis in European countries.

In my opinion the case of this young man illustrates clearly that the sport he loves should be above politics. The ideology of some cleric should not preclude athletes from competing against Israel. These athletes should be allowed to compete and they can score a victory against a so called arch enemy. They are never precluded from competing against the US. The straw man argument does not fly every time an athlete defects coming bassij operatives in this forum who all live abroad and talk about how great life is in Iran.

This guy obviously had access to anything he wanted from women, alcohol, and any thing Western that is supposedly not allowed. In reality you can get anything you want in Iran if you pay for it. His father was a regime insider. Unlike the false narrative peddled in this forum by the regime propaganda agents, bassij , and bache akhonde ha, the mosques in Iran are empty, and the youth is totally disenfranchised with the mullas. All supporters you see are bussed in and paid. If they do not bus them in, they could not event put together a thousand supporters. They have 4 garrisons of forces stationed just in Tehran 24/7 brutally suffocating any one who dares to speak against their policies.

The issue of Palestine is not our business. It does not serve our interest. There are 300 Million Arab speakers in the world. This is something they should settle. Going after world Jewery, the most powerful group in the world does not benefit Iran. It has ended in her detriment time and time again. Arafat and PLO were the ones that trained the Shia ISIS in Iran AKA Islamic Republic. That POS Arafat was one of the first ones next to Saddam pulling the tigger for the first shot at the beginning of the Iran-Iraq War.

No one in Iran cares for Palestine other than the regime's paid shills. Iranians in general are pragmatic and want friendly relation with their neighbors. You reap what you sow. All the pressure on Iran today is the result of this regime's meddling in foreign affairs of the countries around.

"The turning point was the outbreak of the Iran-Iraq war that lasted for eight years from 1980 to 1988.

”Once Iraqi forces invaded part of the southern territory of Iran, Arafat sided with Saddam Hussein and started to admire the Iraqi despotic regime as the anti-imperialism force in the Middle East – shifting his affections from Iran,” said Ahadi angrily.

The retired army officer had every reason to be cross with Arafat. He had fought in the Iran-Iraq war and had seen many of his close friends killed by the Iraqis."



Arafat’s other falling out with Iran was in 1998 when he signed an accord with Israel promising to crack down on Islamic militants in exchange for a withdrawal of Israeli troops from part of the West Bank.

Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei described the PLO chairman as ”shameless” and a ”traitor”.

How do you support people that are tribal and sell each other out. From Arafat to Abbas.
Almost all of Jordan are Palestinians who sold out and made a deal with Ashkenazi Fake Jews. Why should we care. At the end, every country makes decisions for their own interests.

 

[Musalman]

In my opinion the case of this young man illustrates clearly that the sport he loves should be above politics. The ideology of some cleric should not preclude athletes from competing against Israel. These athletes should be allowed to compete and they can score a victory against a so called arch enemy. They are never precluded from competing against the US. The straw man argument does not fly every time an athlete defects coming bassij operatives in this forum who all live abroad and talk about how great life is in Iran.

This guy obviously had access to anything he wanted from women, alcohol, and any thing Western that is supposedly not allowed. In reality you can get anything you want in Iran if you pay for it. His father was a regime insider. Unlike the false narrative peddled in this forum by the regime propaganda agents, bassij , and bache akhonde ha, the mosques in Iran are empty, and the youth is totally disenfranchised with the mullas. All supporters you see are bussed in and paid. If they do not bus them in, they could not event put together a thousand supporters. They have 4 garrisons of forces stationed just in Tehran 24/7 brutally suffocating any one who dares to speak against their policies.

The issue of Palestine is not our business. It does not serve our interest. There are 300 Million Arab speakers in the world. This is something they should settle. Going after world Jewery, the most powerful group in the world does not benefit Iran. It has ended in her detriment time and time again. Arafat and PLO were the ones that trained the Shia ISIS in Iran AKA Islamic Republic. That POS Arafat was one of the first ones next to Saddam pulling the tigger for the first shot at the beginning of the Iran-Iraq War.

No one in Iran cares for Palestine other than the regime's paid shills. Iranians in general are pragmatic and want friendly relation with their neighbors. You reap what you sow. All the pressure on Iran today is the result of this regime's meddling in foreign affairs of the countries around.
View attachment 601857

"The turning point was the outbreak of the Iran-Iraq war that lasted for eight years from 1980 to 1988.

”Once Iraqi forces invaded part of the southern territory of Iran, Arafat sided with Saddam Hussein and started to admire the Iraqi despotic regime as the anti-imperialism force in the Middle East – shifting his affections from Iran,” said Ahadi angrily.

The retired army officer had every reason to be cross with Arafat. He had fought in the Iran-Iraq war and had seen many of his close friends killed by the Iraqis."



Arafat’s other falling out with Iran was in 1998 when he signed an accord with Israel promising to crack down on Islamic militants in exchange for a withdrawal of Israeli troops from part of the West Bank.

Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei described the PLO chairman as ”shameless” and a ”traitor”.

How do you support people that are tribal and sell each other out. From Arafat to Abbas.
Almost all of Jordan are Palestinians who sold out and made a deal with Ashkenazi Fake Jews. Why should we care. At the end, every country makes decisions for their own interests.

You may be right, since you know better than me. My reply was based on my Pakistani experience. It seems from your reply that Pakistani experience does not fits here.

 

[Valar.]

I have noticed many of them who dislike the Islamic government not because of its foreign policy but because it doesn’t let them partying drinking and go naked on beaches and not because of its dictatorship otherwise they wouldn’t worship the oppressive shah regime but they like them because during his time Iranians were allowed to act like wannabe westerners.
@Shapur Zol Aktaf

That's actually kinda true.

As a non theist Pakistani with liberal tendencies, I consider Pakistan to be way too boring(to put it politely).

There are things in life which one needs for fun depending on his taste. You don't get them in Islamic republics or are not allowed to get them, you ask for them and people tell you to gtfo of country. You finally get out of country and people ask you why you left? You tell them because it boring out there and people back home call you names. Does life get better in the west? Depends, there are always your country fellows in west always judging the sh1t outta you for living non Islamic or non Pakistani lifestyle.

Life is hard for guys like us. lol