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Saudi Women Unable to Compete in their Country
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NO Woman No Play
Contact: Alixandra Greenman
Tel: (202) 466-9500
Cell: (818) 521-7957
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Announcement Concerning Saudi Women Competing in Olympics Seems to be Fabrication.
July 5, 2012 – Washington D.C.
Since July 2010, The Institute for Gulf Affairs (IGA) has implemented their “No Women No Play” Campaign. The goal of this campaign is to help Saudi women and girls gain the right to participate in Saudi culture: socially, politically, legally, and economically.
The IGA believes that this will be achieved by obtaining equal athletic rights including, but not limited to, the right to participate in physical education programs, the right to work out in fitness centers, to be involved in sports teams, as well as the right to represent their country in national and international sporting events.
IGA has been petitioning the International Olympic Committee to ban Saudi Arabia from the Olympics until they agree to equality for women and allow their participation in all realms of sport.
On June 25, 2012, the Washington Post reported that Saudi Arabia would allow its female citizens to compete in the summer Olympics. This report is now believed to be false with its main purpose to pacify international pressure.
The Saudi Arabian Embassy in London released a statement which said: "The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is looking forward to its … participation in the London 2012 Olympic Games through the Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee, which will oversee the participation of women athletes who … qualify for the games."
This statement has been left unconfirmed by the Saudi National Olympic Committee. Khalid al-Dakheel, the head of the kingdom's Olympic mission, stated afterwards that he was unaware of any developments concerning allowing women to participate in the games.
According to an article in the Huffington Post on July 4, IOC President Jacques Rogge stated that he cannot guarantee "100%" that females will join Saudi Arabia's Olympic team in London; however he remains optimistic that Saudi Arabia will send women for the first time. Discussions and dialogue continue between the IOC and the Saudi Olympic committee, to no avail.
“It’s very disheartening to finally discover the true nature of the International Olympic Committee (IOC),” said Ali Al-Ahmed, Director for the IGA. “It’s disappointing to find out that the IOC is run like a mafia organization focused entirely on generating revenue and glamour for its directors instead of on the dreams and rights of young people.”
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For more information about the Institute for Gulf Affairs (IGA), contact Alixandra Greeman at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call (202) 466-9500.
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Spotlight
Saudi Arabia: Let Women Vote, Run for Office
No Excuse for Exclusion From Upcoming Municipal Elections
March 31,2011
The government of Saudi Arabia cannot expect Saudi women to believe that a lack of preparation is behind the denial of their rights to political participation. This was a preposterous excuse in 2005, and even more so now. This crude sex discrimination is an insult to millions of Saudi women.
Nadya Khalife, Middle East women’s rights researcher
(Beirut) - The Saudi government's refusal to let women vote in municipal elections in September 2011 unlawfully deprives women of their rights to full and equal status under the law, Human Rights Watch said today. Human Rights Watch called on the election committee to allow women to vote and to run for seats on the municipal councils.
On March 28, 2011, ‘Abd al-Rahman Dahmash, president of the general committee for the election of municipal council members, said, "We are not prepared for the participation of women in the municipal elections now." He promised that women will be allowed to participate in the future.
Read more:
http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2011/03/31/saudi-arabia-let-women-vote-run-officeWatch Video