If Iranians or anyone won’t compete against Israelis then they shouldn’t be at the Olympics, it is that simple and they shouldn’t be invited back.
That’s “Big-Jew-TAY!”
All Jewish people are named John? Since when?
Yes, but El Cid Viscoso mentioned a “burgeoning secular student movement” in Iran. I thought the study was relevant because young people are more conservative on religion than in past; the more conservative youth in America are not something we have in common with Iran’s secular student movement that so the similarity El Cid thinks sees doesn’t really exist. That’s why I didn’t think the stuff in the study about the environment was important to this discussion.
This is a disgrace.
If Iran is so outraged at Israel that they won’t allow their athletes to compete against the “zionists” then they should boycott the Olympics. They should not be allowed to humiliate their opponents by leaving them without competitors at the time of the events.
And this is a government issue. I don’t know what the personal feelings are of Mir-Esmaeili, but it is being reported that he will be paid $100,000 for this stunt. It might have to be under the table to prevent sports sanctions against Iran.
More official praise of Mir-Esmaeili can be found at http://www.tehrantimes.com/Description.asp?Da=8/18/2004&Cat=6&Num=9
Oh! Persian and Palestinian tensions? Never mind. I assumed the OP title was referring to this article, from Monday’s SF Examiner.