Celebrated scientist and author Richard Dawkins has shared that Facebook has deleted his account for merely expressing his opinions on Algerian boxer Imane Khelif. The debate around gender identity politics has hit a new outrage with Imane Khelif during the Paris Olympics over the fact that Khelif, a genetic male with XY chromosomes, has been allowed to contest as a woman.
Algerian boxer Imane Khelif has won the Olympic Gold medal in Women’s boxing in the 66 kg category. Imane Khalif’s participation in women’s boxing has been controversial throughout the Olympics because ‘they’ have failed multiple gender tests to be called a ‘woman’.
“My entire Facebook account has been deleted, seemingly (no reason given) because I tweeted that genetically male boxers like Imane Khelif (XY undisputed) should not fight women in Olympics. Of course, my opinion is open to civilised argument, but outright censorship?”, Dawkins posted on X.
Dawkins further added that he had not posted anything about Khelif on Facebook itself, but on X, an entirely different social media platform. Despite this, Facebook has deleted his account.
On July 29, Dawkins had posted on X, “Two men, masquerading as women, are being allowed to box against real women in Olympics.”
Two men, masquerading as women, are being allowed to box against real women in the Olympics.https://t.co/6tnmcE2dOH
— Richard Dawkins (@RichardDawkins) July 29, 2024
Imane Khelif and the gender controversy in Olympics
The International Boxing Association has stated multiple times that Khelif is a biological male, with XY chromosomes and elevated testosterone levels. As per IBA president Umar Kremlev, DNA tests had proved Khelif had XY chromosomes and was thus excluded from their sports events.
However Olympics has not allowed the IBA to run the boxing tournaments because of governance issues and thus, IBA’s objection to Imane Khelif contesting as a ‘woman’ against female boxers has not been taken into account.
A number of celebrities, sportspersons, intellectuals, and many others have expressed outrage at Khelif, a man, being allowed to literally beat up women in boxing matches, conveniently contesting against biological females with clear biological, genetic, and metabolic advantages.
In the final match of the women’s boxing in the 66 kg category, Khelif easily defeated China’s Yang Liu in the 3-round final. Additionally, the Alegian boxer has not lost a single round in the lead-up to the final in the Paris Olympics 2024.
Khelif is a skilled amateur who earned a silver medal at the International Boxing Association’s 2022 global championship. However, The same governing board disqualified her from last year’s championships in Delhi just before her gold medal match, as they failed a gender test, along with another ‘controversial female’ boxer, Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan. As per IBA president Umar Kremlev, DNA tests had proved they had XY chromosomes and were thus excluded from the sports events. They also had elavated levels of testosterone. This means that the tests show that they were biological males and went through puberty as males.
Despite being disqualified by the International Boxing Association, Khelif is able to participate in the Olympics because IBA has been banned from running the Olympic boxing tournament in Paris because of old issues regarding governance, finance and some judging scandals. As a result, boxing matches are being organised by IOC’s Paris 2024 Boxing Unit, which has more relaxed rules than the IBA on gender issues.
Celebrities who slammed the Olympics for allowing Imane Khelif to compete as a ‘woman’
Dawkins is not the only prominent voice criticising the ‘woke’ decision of the Olympics authorities to allow Imane Khelif to compete in women’s boxing. Author JK Rowling, Elon Musk, and many others have vocally opposed the decision.
“With an XY karyotype and high testosterone (from which the presence of testes can be strongly – and I mean strongly – inferred), these athletes have, so far, the male-typical biology that is relevant in sport.” ✍️ @FondOfBeetles https://t.co/flBWwoa9Zx
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) August 7, 2024
Rowling, a constant voice against gender identity politics that is taking away women’s rights and women-only spaces, even to the extent of allowing violence and abuse against women, has been posting against IOC allowing males to compete against women.
Notably, the IOC has been criticised for clearing Khelif and Lin Yu-ting to compete in Paris despite their disqualification by the IBA for failing gender tests. However, IOC has been defending its decision, adding that the passports of Khelif and Lin Yu-ting say that they are ‘women’.
Lin won the IBA world championships in 2018 and 2022, but the governing organization stripped them of a bronze medal last year, stating she failed to meet eligibility conditions in a biochemical test. The IOC’s official website acknowledges that both boxers failed gender eligibility tests last year.
