Olympics - Paris 24

comment by Tyranny of the majority (SE85) (U21241)
posted 50 seconds ago
Athletics seems to be missing big names these days. I honestly couldn't even name you the 3/4 front runners for the 100m in mens or women's race and that's always been the glamour event on the track.

I will probably watch a few bits of it but I can't say I'm overly bothered and if I didn't watch a single minute I don't think I'd lose any sleep.
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Definitely lost the glamour after Bolt retired.
Think it is Yanks who lead the way now.

Breakdancing will "interesting" watch

I really like the climbing at the Olympics - no idea why but i am glued to it when it is on. The speed climbing is my favourite - but like watching gladiators I suppose.

Break dancing it’s a matter of time until E sports, floor is lava and Remote control wrestling is added

Track and field is great

The rest meh.

Breakdancing

comment by CurrentlyInPoland (U11181)
posted 44 minutes ago
The announcement that France will host the 2024 Summer Olympics, heralded as the first Games to ensure complete gender parity, appears as a stride towards women’s rights. However, a closer examination may reveal underlying motivations. Historically, France’s record on minority rights, particularly concerning its Muslim population, has been controversial. Critics argue that under the guise of various noble ideals—from Christianity in the medieval era to contemporary secularism—policies that disproportionately affect Muslims could amount to what the United Nations categorizes as persecution. In this light, the progressive stance on gender equality at the Olympics could be seen as an attempt to divert attention from these deeper issues—a practice known as sportswashing.

The concept of sportswashing comes into play when a country with a concerning human rights record hosts a prominent sports event or acquires a celebrated athlete, aiming to shift the global gaze from its human rights issues. However, scrutiny of media narratives suggests that accusations of sportswashing predominantly target Arab-speaking or Muslim-majority nations when they are in the global sports spotlight—as was evident during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Contrastingly, Russia and China, despite their well-documented human rights challenges, have largely escaped this label in similar contexts. This disparity raises questions about the consistent application of the sportswashing critique across different geopolitical landscapes.

The roots of Islamophobia in France can be traced back to the medieval era, specifically to 1095 when Pope Urban II called for the First Crusade at the Council of Clermont. These crusades, spanning nearly two centuries, resulted in the deaths of an estimated 4 million Muslims and are often viewed as a precursor to European colonial endeavors. After the Crusades, as the Ottoman Empire expanded with the conquest of Constantinople in 1453, European powers, including France, embarked on a widespread colonial campaign. France’s colonial history is marked by numerous atrocities, particularly in Algeria. French colonization, beginning with the conquest of Algiers in 1830 and leading to the Algerian War in the mid-20th century, witnessed the tragic loss of over 3 million Algerian lives during this period.

France, along with other Western nations, often positions itself as having moved beyond the era of imperialism and colonization. However, contemporary policies towards Islam and Muslims in France suggest a pattern of actions that some interpret as persecution. In 2010, France enacted a law prohibiting face-covering garments like the niqab and burqa in public spaces. This legislation was followed by prohibitions against the hijab and abaya in public schools, and some municipalities went further, banning the burkini—a modest swimsuit for Muslim women—on beaches, leading to enforcement actions that have been criticized for violating personal rights. Additionally, there have been instances where individuals have faced accusations of radicalization for engaging in practices such as wearing traditional Islamic attire, expressing political views about the state of Israel, observing daily prayers, fasting during Ramadan, or not openly supporting feminism and LGBTQ rights—issues that some claim are used by Western governments to marginalize Muslim communities.

Read the rest here: https://intpolicydigest.org/the-mirage-of-progress-why-france-is-guilty-of-sportswashing/

https://www.bbc.com/sport/articles/c2xx4dl44v5o

https://www.aljazeera.com/sports/2024/6/13/who-will-win-when-is-the-football-final-the-uefa-euro-2024-guide

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/apr/12/ban-headscarves-france-secularism-exclusion-intolerance

I find this bit interesting in the last article:
"In March 2004, after months of debate, the French parliament voted through a ban on headscarves in schools, outlawing “symbols or clothing that conspicuously demonstrate a pupil’s religious affiliation”.

That is when I realised that the decision was quite popular in feminist circles, including the predominantly white group I was part of. Many white feminists thought it was their mission to help emancipate Muslim women and girls from a particular type of patriarchy tied to Islam. I quit the group. If Muslim women were enduring a specific form of patriarchal oppression, and really had no agency or free will when it came to wearing the hijab – a view I don’t share – how would it help them to exclude them from schools and access to emancipatory knowledge?"
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We've just had the Euros hosted by a country arming a genocide as we speak and cracking down on speech against it. No one said anything though.

Gonna be interesting to see how the Parisians take to it, they do love a riot now and then.

The surfing in Teahupo’o could be epic if they get a good swell... One of the best, scariest waves in the world.

Will be interesting to see how team USA will do in the basketball, have gone just about as strong as they've gone since 08 as their dominance dwindles.

Strongest the 'pack' has been for a long time, Canada, France, Serbia, Germany - some very strong national teams.

comment by Irishred (U2539)
posted 5 hours, 44 minutes ago
Track and field is great

The rest meh.

Breakdancing
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this...and why the actual FACK we have Tennis Football Golf & the fackin like at the Olympics I just can't imagine

Even though we've won the Tennis & Golf....I will not be watching any of the footy

comment by N2 (U22280)
posted 8 hours, 39 minutes ago
comment by CurrentlyInPoland (U11181)
posted 44 minutes ago
The announcement that France will host the 2024 Summer Olympics, heralded as the first Games to ensure complete gender parity, appears as a stride towards women’s rights. However, a closer examination may reveal underlying motivations. Historically, France’s record on minority rights, particularly concerning its Muslim population, has been controversial. Critics argue that under the guise of various noble ideals—from Christianity in the medieval era to contemporary secularism—policies that disproportionately affect Muslims could amount to what the United Nations categorizes as persecution. In this light, the progressive stance on gender equality at the Olympics could be seen as an attempt to divert attention from these deeper issues—a practice known as sportswashing.

The concept of sportswashing comes into play when a country with a concerning human rights record hosts a prominent sports event or acquires a celebrated athlete, aiming to shift the global gaze from its human rights issues. However, scrutiny of media narratives suggests that accusations of sportswashing predominantly target Arab-speaking or Muslim-majority nations when they are in the global sports spotlight—as was evident during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Contrastingly, Russia and China, despite their well-documented human rights challenges, have largely escaped this label in similar contexts. This disparity raises questions about the consistent application of the sportswashing critique across different geopolitical landscapes.

The roots of Islamophobia in France can be traced back to the medieval era, specifically to 1095 when Pope Urban II called for the First Crusade at the Council of Clermont. These crusades, spanning nearly two centuries, resulted in the deaths of an estimated 4 million Muslims and are often viewed as a precursor to European colonial endeavors. After the Crusades, as the Ottoman Empire expanded with the conquest of Constantinople in 1453, European powers, including France, embarked on a widespread colonial campaign. France’s colonial history is marked by numerous atrocities, particularly in Algeria. French colonization, beginning with the conquest of Algiers in 1830 and leading to the Algerian War in the mid-20th century, witnessed the tragic loss of over 3 million Algerian lives during this period.

France, along with other Western nations, often positions itself as having moved beyond the era of imperialism and colonization. However, contemporary policies towards Islam and Muslims in France suggest a pattern of actions that some interpret as persecution. In 2010, France enacted a law prohibiting face-covering garments like the niqab and burqa in public spaces. This legislation was followed by prohibitions against the hijab and abaya in public schools, and some municipalities went further, banning the burkini—a modest swimsuit for Muslim women—on beaches, leading to enforcement actions that have been criticized for violating personal rights. Additionally, there have been instances where individuals have faced accusations of radicalization for engaging in practices such as wearing traditional Islamic attire, expressing political views about the state of Israel, observing daily prayers, fasting during Ramadan, or not openly supporting feminism and LGBTQ rights—issues that some claim are used by Western governments to marginalize Muslim communities.

Read the rest here: https://intpolicydigest.org/the-mirage-of-progress-why-france-is-guilty-of-sportswashing/

https://www.bbc.com/sport/articles/c2xx4dl44v5o

https://www.aljazeera.com/sports/2024/6/13/who-will-win-when-is-the-football-final-the-uefa-euro-2024-guide

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/apr/12/ban-headscarves-france-secularism-exclusion-intolerance

I find this bit interesting in the last article:
"In March 2004, after months of debate, the French parliament voted through a ban on headscarves in schools, outlawing “symbols or clothing that conspicuously demonstrate a pupil’s religious affiliation”.

That is when I realised that the decision was quite popular in feminist circles, including the predominantly white group I was part of. Many white feminists thought it was their mission to help emancipate Muslim women and girls from a particular type of patriarchy tied to Islam. I quit the group. If Muslim women were enduring a specific form of patriarchal oppression, and really had no agency or free will when it came to wearing the hijab – a view I don’t share – how would it help them to exclude them from schools and access to emancipatory knowledge?"
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We've just had the Euros hosted by a country arming a genocide as we speak and cracking down on speech against it. No one said anything though.
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True. Especially with what we saw the Germans and the Danes pulled at the World Cup. Leads more credence that only certain nations are accused of Sportwashing while others are ignored.