skinz Posted May 26, 2012 Share Posted May 26, 2012 So ban everyone from competing who doesn't share the western viewpoint on women? No..ban any country who doesn't or won't conform to IOC rules. Or remove IOC rules, otherwise what's the use in having them? Not sticking up for the saudian nutters at all. Just think it's futile to ban their participation in the Olympics when Saudia is littered with English businessmen and our government is so heavily involved with them. "keep the £20billion military equipment deal but your team can't come here to run on tv. So there." The issue is not trade. The issue is freedom, equality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AbdullaJones Posted May 26, 2012 Share Posted May 26, 2012 For three decades, South Africa were barred from the Olympics because of racial apartheid. Yet Saudi Arabia operate a gender apartheid, but are still welcome at the Olympics despite excluding approx 50% of their population from sport. At the moment they will be the only team at London 2012 to field an all male team, which contradicts the very rules set out by the IOC. Should Saudi Arabia be banned from the Olympics for excluding women? http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/25052012/58/london-2012-saudis-resist-pressure-include-women.html -- Is Britain going to stop selling them weapons because of the way they 'treat women'? No? Didn't think so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skinz Posted May 26, 2012 Share Posted May 26, 2012 Is Britain going to stop selling them weapons because of the way they 'treat women'? No? Didn't think so. So you advocate the refusal of a society to acknowledge an individual on equal terms? In what way is selling weapons (legally as most nations do) anyway related to women being unable to compete on the basis of some scripture within Islam? Every nation has a right to arm and defend itself. Give me a valid reason why Saudi Arabia insist on a gender apartheid policy? Please..just one valid reason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eater Sundae Posted May 26, 2012 Share Posted May 26, 2012 Nope. Even hitler didn't get banned from the Olympics. We shouldn't have any other dealings with them but sport shouldn't be political in any way. Why punish athletes for the actions of their governments? Sport shouldn't be political? Every Olympic games is used by the host nation to promote it's government, including pre-war Germany. Why punish athletes? So its OK to condone the punishment of female athletes, but not male ones? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eater Sundae Posted May 26, 2012 Share Posted May 26, 2012 Not really got an opinion on the aparteid government of south Africa. I've never lived there or experienced it. If the ban went on for 30years do you think it had any impact whatsoever? Do you think 3000years worth of history and beliefs in Saudia will be affected by an Olympics snub? Be a much better idea to stop buying their oil and selling them weapons. Re BIB. I don't know whether Olympics bans had any effect on SA, as I don't know how important these sports were in SA at that time. However, SA were very sensitive to bans, the risk of bans and the bad publicity around their big sports such as Cricket and Rugby Union. These certainly had an impact on politics in SA. But it really doesn't matter whether bans are effective, if we think they are morally right. Saudi Arabia is not a big nation in Olympics terms, so they wouldn't be affected a great deal by a ban, just a little loss of face. But if they want to be a member of a club, then they should obey its rules. If they are not prepared to abide by the rules, they should be prohibited from competing. If this happened, then I doubt they would alter their system to allow women to compete equally, so in that sense it wouldn't improve the situation of women. But it would still be right thing to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teddybare Posted May 26, 2012 Share Posted May 26, 2012 But it really doesn't matter whether bans are effective, if we think they are morally right. Who is to decide what is morally right? You? The IOC? Wouldn't a ban against china, India, turkey, Israel, Russia, "add country name here" be just and moral too? The question was should they be banned from te Olympics. I say no. If you really want to fight the Saudian regime stop buying petrol and lobby the goverent to stop selling them weapons. The olympics and female athlete participation is a moot point in contrast with the horrors of the world. A ban would be petty and insignificant. It might put petrol prices up though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eater Sundae Posted May 26, 2012 Share Posted May 26, 2012 Who is to decide what is morally right? You? The IOC? Wouldn't a ban against china, India, turkey, Israel, Russia, "add country name here" be just and moral too? The question was should they be banned from te Olympics. I say no. If you really want to fight the Saudian regime stop buying petrol and lobby the goverent to stop selling them weapons. The olympics and female athlete participation is a moot point in contrast with the horrors of the world. A ban would be petty and insignificant. It might put petrol prices up though. The IOC, I would have thought that was obvious. Either their rules apply, in which case Saudi Arabia should be kicked out, or their rules do not, in which case what is the purpose of the IOC? Whether or not countries choose to deal with Saudi Arabia or not is a political decision by the countries concerned. That's where people might choose to lobby their government if they thought it was important. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloomdido Posted May 26, 2012 Share Posted May 26, 2012 The whole Olympic issue is becoming an object of ridicule, from Dow Chemicals sponsorship to the Ebay torch fiasco to Countries with appauling human rights records being cow-towed to. I am avoiding all sponsors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeMaquis Posted May 27, 2012 Share Posted May 27, 2012 So ban everyone from competing who doesn't share the western viewpoint on women? It's not just a Western viewpoint. The Saudis are on their own in operating this policy. Even by the standards of other Arab states they're repressive of women. Saudi Arabia should defintely be banned until they allow women to comepete. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teddybare Posted May 27, 2012 Share Posted May 27, 2012 But it really doesn't matter whether bans are effective, if we think they are morally right. Apologies. When you said "we" I had no idea you were on the IOC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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