Okay, I don’t understand this at all,
Sidelined judoka Miresmaeili was quoted by Iran’s official news agency IRNA as saying he “refused to face my Israeli rival in sympathy with the oppressed Palestinian people.”
I thought the Muslim countries in the Middle East wanted to fight the Jews!! What, it’s not a fair fight unless it’s a teenager with a suicide bomb vs. a busload of civilians?
Iran’s President Mohammad Khatami left little doubt about the reasons behind the pullout, saying Miresmaeili’s action should be “recorded in the history of Iranian glories.”
Looks like that increasingly close relationship with France is starting to show dividends.
Sources:
U.S. Takes Hits at Roller-Coaster Olympic Games. Douglas Hamilton, Reuters, August 15, 2004.
France Steps Up Its Investments in Iran. New York Times, June 23, 2004.