One Law for All calls for the implementation, without exception, of the Olympic Charter based on universal principles.
Among these the following key principles:
* Neutrality of sport as defined in rule 51 stipulating that: «No kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic site, venues or other areas».
* Exclusion of any kind of discrimination: «Any form of discrimination (including gender) is incompatible with belonging to the Olympic Movement».
We support the aims and demands of the Justice for Women campaign and call upon the organisers of the London Games to implement these demands.
In spite of the above mentioned principles, gender based discrimination has long been a feature of the Olympic Games, and it is one that we believe must be opposed by human rights defenders and secularists across Europe.
Moreover, a new phenomenon has appeared since the last 20 years due to the rise of Islamism. In the 1996 Atlanta Games, the Islamic Republic of Iran flag-bearer was the first woman competing with compulsory full body covering. In Beijing, 14 countries were represented by delegations which included fully veiled women.
This places the female athlete at a distinct disadvantage, perpetrates sex-apartheid, and represents a clear demonstration of a political and religious stand-point and therefore a breach of Rule 51 as well as non discrimination principle.
One Law for All believes that in applying different rules or regulations to competitors based upon their race, culture, ethnicity, or gender is in complete contradiction of the principles of unity and neutrality at the heart of the Olympic Movement. We call upon organisers to insist upon equal application of the rules and standards regardless of nationality or religion, to ban all countries which do not allow for female delegations, to work towards increasing the presence of women on Olympic decision-making bodies, and to honour male and female athletes in a spirit of equality and respect.
Maryam Namazie
Anne Marie Waters
Spokespersons
One Law for All
For more information on the campaign, click here.
To support the campaign, sign the petition here.