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TEHRAN: Iran have protested against the already controversial logo for the 2012 Olympic Games, saying the emblem is racist and spells the word ‘Zion,’ the ILNA news agency reported on Monday.
Iran’s national Olympic committee have written to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) making an official complaint about the logo and are threatening to boycott the Games.
The jagged, multi-coloured emblem, which reportedly cost 400,000 pounds (nearly 650,000 dollars), features four bold numerals representing 2012, with the signature Olympic Rings emblazoned within the digit zero.
But Mohammad Aliabadi, head of the national Olympic committee in the Islamic republic, said the logo was undermining the event and accused the British organisers of indulging in “racism,” ILNA reported.
“Unfortunately, we all are witnessing that the upcoming Olympics ... faces a serious challenge, definitely spawned out of some people’s racist spirit,” Aliabadi said in a letter to IOC president Jacques Rogge.
“The use of the word Zion by the designer of the Olympics logo ... in the emblem of the Olympics Games 2012 is a very revolting act,” he added, warning that if Rogge did not act, the logo would “affect the participation of several countries, especially Iran, which insists on following principles and values”.
Zion is a biblical that often refers to the city Jerusalem.
London 2012 chiefs expressed surprise at the claims.
A London 2012 spokeswoman said: “The London 2012 logo represents the year 2012, nothing else. It was launched in 2007 following testing and consultation, we are surprised that this complaint has been made now.”
The IOC have confirmed that they have received a letter from the Iranian national Olympic committee but have backed London’s position on the logo, saying in a statement: “The London 2012 logo represents the figure 2012, nothing else.”
