European Women’s Lobby slams Saudi athletes over Olympic dress.(AA).European Women’s Lobby, the EU’s largest umbrella for women’s associations, has criticized the International Olympic Committee (OIC) for having allowed Saudi athletes to participate in the games with their Islamic veils, describing this as “masquerade” that was allowed by OIC for “solely political and financial reasons.”
The group that seeks to promote women’s rights and gender equality criticized “the lamentable exhibition of the Saudi judoka, who first paraded in a black abaya, then wore a sort of nightcap for the qualifying match.”
In a statement posted on its website, the group said the participation of women wearing Islamic costumes from 17 countries was “in contradiction to the sports neutrality required by the Olympic Charter.” “How could this be? Well, a new interpretation of the veil, even though claimed to be Islamic by the bearers, makes it a benign cultural sign.” The group said that stereotyping women, as those who wear bikinis at beach volley ball, explains why some Muslim women are inclined to wear the veil. It pointed out to “an Egyptian woman all dressed up in her Islamic costume” and in Beijing Rokaya al Gassra from Bahrein who “had run the 400 meter race wearing a costume covering tightly her body from head to toe.” In contrast, the women’s group praised “the splendid image of Tunisian Habiba Ghrita, (silver medallist of 3000 meter steeple race), when she won offered her medal to the Tunisian people and most of all to the Tunisian women.”Read the full story here.
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