2012 Summer Olympic Logo Could Lead to an Iran Boycott of Games

On Feb. 28, 2011, the New York Daily News reported that Iran is threatening to boycott the 2012 Summer Olympic Games. The games begin on July 27, 2012, according to NBC, and are being hosted in London. The suggestion of a boycott is being passed around based on the fact that Bahram Afsharzadeh, the secretary general of Iran's Olympic committee, believes that the logo chosen for the 2012 games is the word Zion. Since Zion is considered a reference to Jerusalem, the Iran National Olympic Committee feels the logo is in violation of Islamic "values and principles."

The International Olympic Committee has stated that they do not intend to change the logo that was originally unveiled in 2007. The Telegraph originally reported in 2007 that the logo was aimed at the "Internet generation" and contained a graffiti inspired interpretation of the numbers "2012." One can actually look at the logo and see the year "2012." Seeing the word Zion would require either an act of God or a series of strategically placed mirrors.

The Olympics have often been boycotted by countries as a means of protesting the policies of a particular government or world situation. There have also been times that historians believe the Olympics should have been boycotted but were not.

The most prominent example of this is the 1936 Olympic Games held in Berlin, Germany. Despite the fact that Nazi Germany was obviously rebuilding its military to epic proportions post-World War I, the rest of the Western world attended the Summer Games. This is the year that Jesse Owens won his gold medals and demonstrated that focus, drive and determination could overcome any potentially bad situation. Author Jeremy Schaap suggested in a Gelf magazine interview that had the U.S., Great Britain and France put pressure on Germany to make concessions or boycotted the games altogether that an anti-Nazism movement may have been spawned.

The games not being boycotted demonstrated the attitude that dominated Western dealings with Nazi Germany. The theme was no-opposition before, during and after the Olympic games right up until and past the Munich agreement (ThinkQuest). It took Germany invading Poland for war to be declared by England and France in 1939. The U.S., of course, did not declare war until 1941 after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

In more modern times, Iran has boycotted the Olympics for their beliefs. In 1980 and 1984, Iran refused to participate in the games. The 1984 games were held in Los Angeles and Iran declined to attend because of "United States interference in the Middle East, its support for the regime occupying Jerusalem and the crimes being committed by the U.S.A. in Latin America, especially in El Salvador." (Absolute Astronomy)

While the comments in 1984 and 2011 are different, the motivation behind them remains the same. The International Olympic Committee should be applauded for maintaining its stance on this logo. The fact that the logo has existed for four years and is only now being the focus of complaint and scrutiny seems to be an effort to stir additional tension during a time of political upheaval in the Middle East.

If the claims were rooted in reality, there is no doubt the Olympic Committee would err on the side of political correctness and consent to a change. The statement of Bahram Afsharzadeh, however, does not merit a change. The logo choice should not alter the atmosphere of the approaching Olympic Games or international relations during the actual event. Refusing to change the logo is a strong stance and establishes a "don't push" precedent that should have been employed in times past.