Rosie Dimanno is an outstanding Toronto Star columnist who writes superb columns regularly, excellent in content, often spot on in opinion and always erudite and engaging.
Recently she wrote a column in praise of a Afghan refugee competing in the Olympic and who promoted her cause in opposition to Taliban abuse of women.
See –> REFUGEE PROTEST
Bringing greater awareness to the is good; using the Olympics to do so, is not. I wrote Rose the following:
Rosie,
You completely missed the point: the Olympics are not a political stage, nor should they ever be. While your support for women, Afghan women, and Manizha Talash in her political cause is commendable, the Olympics is not the place for it. The Olympics is a pure sports competition, and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) strives to maintain it as such. The Games celebrate human physicality and competition, not political ideologies or human rights issues. They are meant to be an athletic event, not a platform for political causes. Yes, the misogyny and human rights violations by Afghan leaders are egregious and widely condemned as unjust. However, using the Olympics to declare these violations changes nothing. Just as Israel’s actions against Palestinians can be criticized, the Taliban’s policies are equally wrong. It’s undeniable that Taliban policies harm women, and we should strive to make a positive impact through the United Nations, public opinion, economic sanctions, and international ostracization. But using the Olympic podium is not the way. Today, the Olympics aims to remain clean and pure, despite facing challenges from terrorism to exploitation attempts. Talash has a valid cause, and everyone should support her efforts, but the Olympics cannot and should not be her platform. Your support for Talash is justified, and we must praise her cause and goals. However, we should not endorse her using the Olympics to promote her political stance.
