Press Release: UK Parliament Event to Discuss IOC Violation of the Olympic Charter by Not Banning Saudi Arabia from Olympics

Contact: Melissa Smith                                                                                                                                                                         

Tel: (202) 466-9500

Cell: (856) 341-3631

Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  

IOC/LONDON OLYMPICS ENDORSEMENT OF GENDER APARTHEID IN SAUDI ARABIA

UK Parliament Event to Discuss IOC Violation of the Olympic Charter by Not Banning Saudi Arabia from Olympics

July 26, 2012 – Washington D.C.

Ali Al-Ahmed, Director of No Women No Play and the Institute for Gulf Affairs, Lord Eric Avebury, and other prominent figures are holding an event to address the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) illegal act of allowing the participation of the Saudi Monarchy at the London Olympics

In April 2009, The Institute for Gulf Affairs (IGA) launched No Women No Play—a campaign with the goal of helping Saudi women and girls gain the right to participate in Saudi public life: socially, politically, legally, and economically. 

IGA has been petitioning the IOC to expel Saudi Arabia from the IOC and to ban it from the Olympics for Gender Apartheid as South Africa was banned for Racial Apartheid. The Saudi Monarchy must allow millions of women in the country to participate in all realms of sport and receive physical education before being allowed to compete at the Olympics.

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.

The event will discuss the Saudi Monarchy’s Gender Apartheid practices.  Additionally, the event will shine a light on the illegal IOC’s endorsement of the Saudi’s gender discrimination practices by allowing the Saudi Arabian Olympic team to participate despite their clear violation of the Olympic Charter, which states, “The practice of sport is a human right. Every individual must have the possibility of practicing sport without discrimination of any kind. Any form of discrimination with regard to a country or a person on grounds of race, religion, politics, gender, or otherwise is incompatible with belonging to the Olympic Movement.”  

Speakers:

Lord Eric Avebury - Confirmed

Ali AlAhmed - Confirmed

Lord Sebastian Coe, President of the London Olympics Organizing Committee - Invited

Lord Colin Moynihan, Chairman of the British Olympic Committee -Invited

Lamine Diack, President of the IAAF- Invited

Jacques Rogge, President of the IOC- Invited

Representatives from Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.

Where: British Parliament; Committee Room G in the House of Lords.

When:  Wednesday, August 1st from 15.00 to 17.00.