Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has condemned the exclusion of Sounkamba Silla, a dark-skinned French track and field athlete who practices Islam, from participating in the Olympic Games opening ceremony as a blatant act of segregation.
"On the eve of the Olympic Games in Paris, we witnessed another flagrant act of segregation. Sounkamba Silla, a dark-skinned French athlete who practices Islam, was denied the right to take part in the opening ceremony. The French Olympic Committee cited a ban on wearing traditional clothing during sporting events as the reason," Zakharova's statement reads.
Zakharova stressed that this incident, along with earlier decisions affecting Russian and Belarusian athletes, reveals that the modern Olympics have strayed far from the ideals originally espoused over a century ago in Paris and contradict the true Olympic spirit.
"Once again, under the guise of neoliberal dictates, the 'collective West'—represented this time by the French sports authorities—has disregarded the principle of 'sports and politics don't mix,' which has been revered for generations. Despite French officials' claims of promoting diversity and freedom of expression, those who dissent are publicly and demonstratively sanctioned," Zakharova concluded.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Russian Foreign Ministry
Based on materials from TASS