Name calling and banning women
Human rights are on the front page. The US telling Russia and China their UN Syria veto is ‘despicable’; China telling the US they have no right to talk about anything in the Arab world after Iraq.
At the same time, the UN Human Rights Committee starts its meeting in Geneva with the Sri Lankan government trying to make the case that they have successfully investigated and dealt with war crimes accusations.
We are in the final stages of producing a follow up documentary to Sri Lanka’s Killing Fields (Channel 4), which will air in a couple of weeks’ time and will be ‘premiered’ in a showing to the UN Human Rights Committee next week.
Meanwhile, a furore has blown up over the weekend over Saudi participation in the London Olympic Games. Over the past two years the authorities in the kingdom have rendered it ever harder for Saudi woman athletes to gain access to proper sporting facilities. This has now been crowned by a decision by the Saudi government to ban women athletes from taking part in the games. There is talk that a Saudi woman show jumper may be permitted to participate, but the athletes are blocked.
The Twittersphere has suffered the usual smattering of Islamophobia, with tweets blaming Islam itself for the ban. In fact most Islamic nations are fielding women’s teams. The Saudi decision flows from its own homegrown Wahhabi interpretation of the faith. The Gulf State of Qatar (host of Al Jazeera) and Brunei are the only other Olympic participants yet to declare whether they are allowing women to participate.
Women in Saudi are becoming increasingly forceful in pursuing their rights. The campaign on women athletes comes on the heels of last year’s so-far-unsuccessful attempt to overturn the Saudi ban on women driving cars.
The Olympic Charter is adamant about equal rights for all races and sexes in the games. The open question now is whether the IOC will allow any nation to participate in the Games, in the event that they ban anyone from taking part on the basis of ‘sex, race, or religion’.
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There are 19 comments on this post
It beggars belief that this sort of repression is still going on, let alone being tolerated by the international community. Quite simply, regardless of the IOC views, if SA bans women from participating in the olympics, then, quite simply, we should tell them that they are not welcome. If Qatar and Brunei ban women from participating then they too should be told they are not welcome.
To say “It’s beggars belief that this sort or repression is still going on”. Where have you been all your life, this way of life which is normal for the Arab nations has been going on since year dot, you must try to get out of the house sometime and see the world for what it is, the problem with the “Western civilisation” they believe the way they live is the way everyone else should live, it would be a sad, sad world if every country, town and person were the say, what would be the point in going anywhere and the last thing that this world needs is American conlonises all over the place with a McDonalds on every corner, besides, first we must look at ourselves Britain is not a clean country, you’s complain about Libya, Syria yet the British government had a shoot to kill policy in India, Parkistan, Aden and even Ireland, the Russians and Chinese did well to stand against another invasions into another Arab country which would cause many more thousands of innocent people to be killed with one dictator being taken over by another.
If that is the Saudi attitude, their invitation to the games should be withdrawn.
But we shouldn’t be too smug – just look at the church’s attitude to women bishops, not to mention how few women reach the top in politics and business.
Once again, agree with Sam, particularly on smugness. Frankly, though, I’d rather the Olympics weren’t taking place at all. A multi-billion waste.
Those living outside London probably – understandably – don’t care about the fact that miles of London’s Zone 1 roads will be dedicated to Olympic VIP (chauffeur-driven) BMWs for the hideous IOC cadre and cronies. Channel 4 Dispatches did an excellent expose of this and associated scams a couple of weeks ago. Worth watching on catch-up.
Making London’s zone 1 car-free – other European cities are thinking along similar lines – and the city safer for cyclists and pedestrians would do more for fitness, health and regeneration, and at considerably lesser cost, than the obscene narcissistic pantomime that most Londoners I meet are dreading.
Political madness, if a woman as the ability she will reach her goals, we do not need people saying there aren’t enough woman or blacks in politics, television or radio, you should not have a given right to have a job because you are black or a woman, if you want it then work for it prove yourself to the powers that be that you are capable and worthy of the position, as for the Olympics, it’s a great chance for Britain to host the games for the world, being in London may had been a bit foolish, but now that it is we must grin and bear it, of course the officials and players should have priority in getting to the games, it’s their duty, we can’t have them waiting at bus stops along with all the other riff-raff oggling over their daily Sun news papers, lets not stoop to moaning lets enjoy and be proud of this moment.
Here we go again : Human rights versus national culture, religion and political maneouvres .Humanity is left somewhere in the middle of all this chaos, although some would say this megolamania against the striving for equality and respect of personhood is humanity.
When the IOC makes blanket rules the athletes are effected( people). When wahhibis impose their perceptual stand women and athletes suffer(people). Where is the freedom in this world for people to act in a decent respectful way which all know is intinctively right and good?
Today the frustration is ever present. Why do we have morons who think it they have rights to dictate , destroy and manipulate life into a mould which is barbaric and ultimately life threatening as we know it.
affected ,… blushm
Jon,
Human rights get on the front page only when it suits Western mainstream media, which is why your points about Saudi fascism are notable only for their rarity.
Who can forget the Tory government’s abject apology over the BBC documentary “Death of a Princess”? Or Blair’s criminality when he stopped the investigation into the Al Yamamah arms deal corruption? Or American criminality at Guantanamo Bay and in the assassination of foreign leaders? Or the way Brit media mostly ignored how Gaddafi was located, buggered with a pipe and then murdered on camera?
Britain didn’t become known as Albion Perfide for nothing. In the dog days of the British Empire there weren’t many countries who were more guilty of violation of human rights. Since then, the British have been little more than lickspittle poodles of American war crimes across the world – so has the European establishment.
As for the Olympic Games, does any rational person give a toss for that drugs-raddled nationalist soap opera?
Do you ever think how many times you have reported on the hypocrisy of global politics? What’s great is when new reporting has an effect on places like Sri Lanka for the better. Sporting patriotism…
Hello Jon,
I hope you are well. If the IOC allow Saudi Arabia to take part on the basis that Saudi women have been banned from taking part by Saudi Arabia, then other nations that have a predilection for suppressing women but who have overcome it in order to qualify for the Olympics, will feel their efforts were both wasted and unnecessary. Other countries where an imagined political gain might ensue, may even be minded, to impose a last minute similar ban, on their own women. It cannot, and mustn’t be allowed to happen on our watch or in our Country.
Laters
Rachel
The Saudis operate under the single rule of oil-money and no amount of breast-beating feminism will be allowed to compromise relationships with the despicable Saudi regime.
Sorry, girls, that’s the way it is in the real world.
And anyway, it’s only a game – it’s not as if the Olympics are serious. Think positive, at least it means we won’t have those offensive Zil Lanes being cluttered up with lots of Saudi lady drivers.
John
Whilst I agree that the Saudi attitude is disgraceful there are other areas of discrimination closer to home:
The Guiding Association is celebrating its’ Centenary today. This organisation is resolutely single gender – claiming “Girls need there own space to develop” – but are intensely relaxed about the fact that the Scout Association has been pushed into being dual gender.
It would seem that many females do not believe that males have any need for their own space – or indeed any rights!
It would be nice to see this view challenged ocassionally.
Best regards
Alan
FFS! Of course they should be banned if they prevent women competing. What century are we living in? In fact, why are they bothering to send any athletes regardless of gender? They obviously have no interest in free and fair competition and they are not well known for their high medal tally. Although I guess the shot putters might do well given how stoning is such a common occupation in that backward state.
Religious principles wrecking human rights, aspirations and happiness!
Imagine my amazement.
My genuine incredulity (and contempt) is reserved for the religious apologists who tacitly support all this via the “faith is good” canard.
(Oops, sorry. I forgot. It’s not their particular brand of faith doing it. . . This time.)
Jon the blogs ar a bit weak, no active comments on the main news. so I want to use your woman blog to go further, sorry.
Iwant to now why shoud we the public believe the police woman who turns the table on the News Of the World, this is a typical ploy by the members of the police force to turn the focus from the police taking black money to blame the media…surely the policw always say that without the receiver there would not be a crime.
I think you might be missing the point. Sue Akers is also investigating and outing the police and public officials who took the payments. This is far from a whitewash of the police – they come out of it as badly as NI.
Must express agreement with Sam, Worldtuner. Mustn’t let conspiracy theories/prejudice cloud our judgement. This and Sue Akers are hugely significant developments.
There are several points here on differing subjects.
Does the United Nations have the right to intervene ,for whatever reason it seems fit,in the internal politics of another Nation.It seems China and Russia are saying NO.Is that because they have Political problems within their own borders?,and do not wish for outside interference .Action is taken and justified under the guise of “Human Rights” yet look how the so called Human Rights Act , prevents us dealing with legal/illegal immigrants and criminals we allow to these shores.From this blog it appears we are soon to see the righteous Channel 4 documentary, highliting supposed abuse of civil rights in Sri Lanka.Were the Tamil Tigers ,not a terrorist group,trying to unseat a legitimate government?
If the Human Rights group are meeting, why is C4 not producing a report on the HR abuses bought about by Bush and Blair,in Iraq.Something on our own doorstep,some of us are not proud of.
As for women entering Olympic events.If the action of any country is against the Olympic Charter, then ban that country from the games.
Unfortunately the world can’t be seen in purely black and white terms. It’s actually a specturm from black to white through a long series of shades of grey. Some times we can do something to oppose evil or reduce its effect (e.g. the Saudis can and should be banned from London 2012), but other times intervention is either unrealistic or liable to make matters worse. The terms “governemnt” and “terrorist” depend on circumstances and your point of view. Nazi Germany would undoubtedly have called the Maquis “terrorists”. Charles I would probably have said the same about the Parliamentarians (or its 17th century equivalent). Oppressive governments that attempt ethnic cleansing, use torture, cheat elections, etc may be veery little in terms of their shade of grey from those who oppose them by violent means. I think we’ve begun to realise in Libya that Gadhafi wasn’t black and the resistance white: both a differing shades of grey. Given that the Chinese and Russians would – and have – done to their citizens (Tibetans, Chechens, etc) what the Syrian governement is doing to its dissenting citizens, their veto is unsurprising and has the merit of avoiding the usual political hypocrisy.