David Butler Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 I saw this on Twitter and thought forum members might be interested - Iran has threatened to boycott the London Olympics unless the organisers replace the official logo, which Tehran claims spells out the word "Zion". The logo, a jagged representation of the year 2012, has been said by its critics to resemble many things, from a swastika to a sexual act, but the Iranian government argues it represents a veiled pro-Israeli conspiracy. In a formal complaint to the International Olympic Committee, Tehran has called for the graphic to be replaced and its designers "confronted", warning that Iranian athletes might otherwise be ordered to stay away from the London Games. According to the state-backed Iranian Students News Agency, which is frequently used to convey official pronouncements, the letter says: "As internet documents have proved, using the word Zion in the logo of the 2012 Olympic Games is a disgracing action and against the Olympics' valuable mottos. "There is no doubt that negligence of the issue from your side may affect the presence of some countries in the Games, especially Iran which abides by commitment to the values and principles." The letter, from the country's national Olympic committee, leaves unclear what "internet documents" it is referring to. Amid the popular uproar that accompanied the unveiling of the logo in 2007, there were some claims, particularly on conspiracy-oriented websites, that its constituent shapes could be rearranged to make the world "Zion" and some animations were posted on YouTube showing how to do it. An IOC official confirmed that the Iranian letter had been received but said: "The London 2012 logo represents the figure 2012, nothing else." A spokesman for the London Olympic organising committee added: "It was launched in 2007 following testing and consultation. We are surprised that this complaint has been made now." http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/feb/28/iran-london-olympics-logo-zion Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evan Burton Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 It's 2012. Iranians are just looking for something to complain about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
William Kelly Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 I got $10 American that the Regime in Iran isn't in power when the 2012 Olympics begin. And Dave, have you seen this photo? Revolutionary Program: Soccer Revolution It is labeled Egypt vs. Algeria. Is it women's beach soccer/football or what? And I believe that just as the actions of Mohamed Bouazizi went unrecognized as a possible spark for crisis in Tunisia and the now the world, the fact that Ghadaffi cancelled a soccer/football match between Algeria and Libya in the first week of February was a good tip off that something big was in the works. Please check my Soccer Revolution article and let me know what you think. Thanks, BK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Butler Posted February 28, 2011 Author Share Posted February 28, 2011 Judging by the bodypainted on "shirts" Bill that photo isn't from a real women's beach football tournament :-) It was a gimmick topless women's football game arranged by a website during the men's football Euro 2008 tournament. Germany played an Austrian team on the banks of the Danube and Austria won 10-5 if anyone's interested :-) Haven't looked through the article yet but will do later.... David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
William Kelly Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 Judging by the bodypainted on "shirts" Bill that photo isn't from a real women's beach football tournament :-) It was a gimmick topless women's football game arranged by a website during the men's football Euro 2008 tournament. Germany played an Austrian team on the banks of the Danube and Austria won 10-5 if anyone's interested :-) Haven't looked through the article yet but will do later.... David Thanks Dave, It appears that they're playing for real to me. I noticed the uniforms didn't seem real. What about the photo of the women soccer/football players lined up in the photo at this site. Do you think they are Ghadaffi's Amazonian Guards? Will they come through for him on the field and in the looming battle? Muammar Gaddafi Amazonian Guard BK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Knight Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 lol, "Zion". You should have seen one of the early designs for the logo - "Goatse". Please don't google that if you don't know what it is. Really not family-orientated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
William Kelly Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 (edited) Doesn't anybody want to take my $10 bet that there will be regime change in Iran before the 2012 Olympics? The odds are changing daily. BK Wednesday, March 02, 2011 The Daily Star - Politics - Iran forces fire tear gas, clash with protesters, gunshots heard TEHRAN: Iranian security forces fired tear gas and clashed with anti-government protesters demonstrating against the treatment of opposition leaders, pro-reform websites reported Tuesday. Thousands of demonstrators poured into the streets of Tehran and other cities, chanting slogans against the government, Sahamnews reported. "Security forces and plainclothes agents fired tear gas and clashed with demonstrators in Tehran to disperse them," another opposition website, Kaleme, reported. "Protesters have formed groups in hundreds and are marching toward Tehran's Azadi [Freedom] Square," it added, and said they demanded the release of Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, under house arrest in Tehran since Feb. 14. Inspired by uprisings in the Middle East, thousands of their supporters have taken to the streets, defying a heavy security presence, Sahamnews said. Seeking to avoid a revival of mass anti-government rallies that erupted after a disputed 2009 presidential election, the authorities had warned against any "illegal" gatherings after some opposition websites posted calls for a rally Tuesday. "Riot police attacked protesters with batons and electric shocks in Tehran," Kaleme reported. Two people were killed and dozens arrested during a Feb. 14 rally, the first big show of opposition since the elite Revolutionary Guards crushed street protests in December 2009. The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran quoted an "informed source" as saying Mousavi and Karroubi, along with their wives, had been moved from their homes to a "'safe house' in an area close to Tehran." The judiciary denied reports Monday that the two had been jailed. Their arrest might ignite tension in the Islamic Republic, with hard-line rulers wary about any spillover of popular turmoil in the Arab world into Iran. British Foreign Secretary William Hague said he was deeply concerned by the reports that Mousavi and Karroubi had been moved. "I call on the Iranian authorities to release both men immediately," Hague said, adding that calls by pro-government parliamentarians for the men to be executed were "inexcusable." Hard-liners have urged the judiciary to hand down death penalties to opposition leaders, accusing them of being part of a Western plot to overthrow the Islamic system. Sahamnews said "tension was increasingly growing" in Tehran and some other cities, adding that large numbers of security personnel were stationed at main streets and squares in Tehran "to prevent gathering of opposition supporters." "Gunshots were heard around Enqelab [Revolution] Square and nearby streets," Kaleme reported. Mousavi and Karroubi say the reform movement is still alive despite mounting pressure on opposition supporters. – Reuters Edited March 2, 2011 by William Kelly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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