After being the subject of a misinformation campaign and accused of being a “transgender athlete”, The Arab world turned to Imane Khelif, the boxer on everyone’s lips at these Olympic Games since the controversial fight with the Italian Angela Carini, who refused to continue the fight with the Algerian after only 46 seconds in the ring.
Today, every victory of Khelif is also that of the entire Algerian people and Arab women, who support and follow with special interest every one of his movements in the women’s 66 kilogram category of the Olympic boxing competition.
“I hope this crisis ends with a gold medal, which would be the best response.” That is the expressed wish of Khelif and the Arab world, which considers that the victory of this 25-year-old girl is the best way to silence the media lynching suffered by the boxer.
Arabs, focused on networks
“The daughter of Algeria” is the nickname that is repeatedly read on social networks in reference to the struggle in Paris of Imane, the “hero” who was able to unite the entire Algerian and Arabic-speaking community.
In the semifinals and the bronze medal already obtained, the gold will be a victory for the Arabs, who consider in the networks that “they are intimidated by a world that firmly supports homosexuality and transgenderism, but maliciously questions their femininity .”
“We are with you and we will support you until you win” or “the gold is within your reach and ours” are some of the comments that Khelif received from Arab Internet users, who from the first moment came out in defense of the Algerian.
The young fighter has already experienced this hate speech at the 2023 World Boxing Championships organized by the International Boxing Association (IBA), where he was prevented from competing because an alleged gender test showed a high level of testosterone.
The Arab woman, object of persecution?
“This is not the first time that ethnic groups other than white have been accused of something like this… If a woman does not fit the stereotypical narrative of the ethnic group to which she belongs, in this case ‘Arabic -speaking Muslim’ , she will not be granted their femininity,” an Egyptian woman who preferred to remain anonymous told EFE.
“She has become a symbol, without a doubt, and I would say more a symbol of feminism without acting, and even against racism, but not against transphobia. How can she be a symbol against her if she is not trans? ” , he added.
The 28-year-old said the accusations stemmed from “a Western bias towards Arab and Muslim women who do not fit cultural stereotypes.”
Furthermore, he considers that, although Khelif has become a symbol, “the accusations of transphobia are unfounded and will not disappear easily”, an opinion that reflects a large part of the Arab community in social networks .
Incorrect information about your gender
The hoax that Khelif is a transgender athlete quickly spread on social networks, where personalities such as the former president of the United States and Republican candidate, Donald Trump, businessman Elon Musk and even some Olympic boxers have taken a stand against the participation of trans athletes. following the ‘Khelif case’.
The fact is that Khelif is a woman by birth and the International Olympic Committee takes this into account in its entry letter. However, this did not stop the criticism and accusations that the athlete faced, based on prejudices and stereotypes.
The boxer has a disorder of sexual development and, although he was born with female genitalia and identifies as a woman, he has XY chromosomes and testosterone levels that are higher than normal for women, according to the results of OTHERS.
Furthermore, Khelif represents Algeria as a woman, a country where gender reassignment registration or hormonal treatment is not permitted.
After his last match and the weight of the controversy behind him, Khelif raised his voice: “I teach my message to all people in the world to respect the Olympic principles set out in the Olympic Charter: avoid harassment to athletes.” .
Source: La Verdad
I’m Robert Maynard, and I am a passionate journalist with experience in sports writing. For the last few years, I have been writing for Today Times Live. My main focus has been on sports-related stories and features. With my strong background in journalism and extensive knowledge of the industry, I am able to provide readers with well-crafted pieces that are both informative and engaging.
