This is part of our special coverage London 2012 Olympics.
Saudi Arabia will be sending two female athletes to the 2012 London Olympics, which officially begin tomorrow (July 27). Wojdan Shaherkani (Judo) and Sarah Attar (athletics) will be the first two women to ever represent the kingdom, where conservative religious clerics forbid the participation of women in competitive sports.
On Twitter, their anticipated involvement in the games set off a flurry of reactions, including a hash tag which described them as the “Prostitutes of the Olympics.”
Saudi Arabia's earlier announcement that women would be excluded from London 2012 was faced with a call for banning the kingdom from the Olympics.
The two Saudi women taking part in the London Olympics. Photo from the official delegation page on www.london2012.com
The participation of women under the Saudi flag comes under conditions: that they would not compete in mixed games and that they would dress up conservatively, among others.
On Twitter, Saudi blogger Ahmed Al Omran shares the line up of athletes representing his country at the Olympics and quips:
@Ahmed: List of Saudi athletes who will compete in London Olympics. Interestingly, Sarah Attar appears without a headscarf http://www.london2012.com/athletes/country=saudi-arabia/index.htmx …
On his own blog, Al Omran further elaborates:
To appease the clerics, Saudi most senior sports official Prince Nawaf bin Faisal announced a set of rules for women’s participation at the Olympics. Athletes can only take part if they do so “wearing suitable clothing that complies with sharia” and “the athlete’s guardian agrees and attends with her,” he told local daily al-Jazirah. “There must also be no mixing with men during the Games,” he added.
On Twitter, a Saudi Twitter user allegedly called Sultan Al Hilali spread the hash tag #عاهرات_الاولمبياد which translates to The Prostitutes of the Olympics, reportedly in reference to the Saudi athletes taking part in the games. The hash tag got many angry responses, as well as a few in its support.
Aljohara responds:
Screenshot of the tweet which called Saudi female athletes prostitutes
Rasha Al Dowasi adds:
Many netizens also called for the prosecution of the Twitter user who came up with the hash tag. A screen shot of the tweet which calls the women taking part in the games as prostitutes is making the rounds online. The aim is to name and shame the person behind the hash tag.
Saudi blogger Eman Al Najfan shares her thoughts on Saudi women and the Olympics here and here. The two articles are also cross-posted in The Guardian.
Other countries sending female athletes to compete in the Olympics for the first time are neighbouring Qatar and Brunei.
This is part of our special coverage London 2012 Olympics.
39 comments
كل من شاركت في الاولمبياد هن مصدر فخر لنا
ولكن للأمانة استغرب من التصيد
هل من المعقول ان كل معتوه يقوم بكتابه تغريده في تويتر ان نكتب عنه ونظر صوره قبيحه عننا
من يشاهد التعليقات الآن على هاشتاق هذا الاحمق يعرف ان الاغلبيه ضد فكرته
يذكرني ما فعلته البنتين بما فعلته هدى شعراوي عندما خلعت حجابها فسنت فسخ الحجاب لعدد لا يعلمه إلا الله. أحيانا تسيطر على المرء مشاعر ما يحس به تجاه الظلم الواقع فلا يجد إلا النموذج الغربي فيجعله هدفا يسوق الناس إليه. أنا لا أحرم الرياضة على المرأة ضمن الضوابط الشرعية بعيدة عن أعين الرجال. لكنني لا أرضى النموذج الغربي بديلاً. كما أن ما قد تحس به المرأة في مجتمعاتنا ليس خاصاً بها بل مثله واقع على الرجل والطفل والبيئة. أعيد وأكرر – الإسلام كرم المرأة – فأبعدها عن كونها هدفاً شهوانيا للرجال إلى إنسان يفجر طاقاته وإبداعه ضمن حدود لا يلغى تميزه معها ولا يتعرض لامتهان.
أما فيما يتعلق بالهاشتاق فأرجو أن يفهم أن ما فعلته البنتين هو مصادمة للغالبية الساحقة من المجتمع. وهو مصادمة لثوابت وعادات المجتمع حتى لو لم يكن بعض هذه العادات مقدسا فهي رأي مجتمعي يجب أن يحترم. ومن لا يعنيه ذلك من غيره من المجتمعات فهو ليس بشأنه ولا يرضى أي منتم لمجتمع آخر أن تهان اختيارات مجتمعه مهما كانت.
مع تقديري.
للأسف هذا الهاشتاق تم إختراعه من البعض لإثارة الرأي العالمي علينا .. لم يكتب هذا الكلام معارض لمشاركة النساء
وانما كتبه اقوام لهدف السخرية والنيل من مجتمعنا المسلم المحافظ والدليل هو ترجمة هذا الهاشتاق لعدة لغات فقط للنيل من المجتمع السعودي المسالم
للأسف هذا الهاشتاق تم إختراعة من بعض الجهات لإثارة الفتنة وإثارة الرأي العام الدولي علينا
لم يكتب هذا الهاشتاق اي من المعارضين لمشاركة النساء، والجميع يستنكره، هذا الهاشتاق كان مغرض والدليل هو ترجمته الان لعدة لغات رغم استنكار الشعب السعودي باكمله لهذا الكلام
فهل لشعب ان يقذف بناته ؟
I would like to say that the writer is deceptive , this HashTag has not written by saudis , I am a saudi female and Saudis never call saudi women ‘Prostitutes’. this just written by people who are really want to revenge from Saudi society.
Riiiight. Saudis NEVER call women ‘prostitutes’ only because they disagree with them. /sarcasm
Do you really expect us to buy that? I’m Saudi and I know for a fact that these things happen quite frequently in my society. So, instead of lying to the international community to clean up our image, how about you go fix up our society first?
why give such an ignorant person the chance to be famous ?
do not spread his words and his hash tag in global media as a Saudi real mind
good Muslims are not going to name ANY WOMEN “prostitutes” for ANY REASON .
The girls have the right to ask for judgment and he might be punished by jail or birch .
sex accusing to women have a strict punishment in Islam unless the girls waiver their right!
best wishes to you girls
I am Saudi and I am proud of you :)
I’m saudi man and i support thoes girl, most of saudi men support them,