Iran calls logo for 2012 Olympics "racist"

An Olympic ticket sales sign is displayed in this July 27, 2007, file photo in Walthamstow, England.

/ Getty Images

The Olympics have long been heralded as a special venue where, for a brief time, athletics transcends tense diplomatic relations and the competitive spirit and sportsmanship reign supreme.

Not so much for Iran.

The Middle Eastern country's Olympic committee Monday criticized the logo for the summer games to be held in London next year, calling it "racist" and urging other Muslim nations to also oppose it, The AP reported.

In a letter to International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge, Bahram Afsharzadeh, secretary general of Iran's National Olympic Committee, says London's logo spells out "Zion," the biblical term commonly associated with the city of Jerusalem.

Iran suggests in the letter that it might boycott the Olympics if nothing is done about the logo.

"There is no doubt that negligence of the issue from your side may affect the presence of some countries in the games, especially Iran which abides by commitment to the values and principles," the letter said, according to the AP.

In a zigzag font, the logo displays the numbers "2012" with the Olympic rings and the name of the host city.

The supposed controversy appears to be part of Iran's continued campaign against Israel. In the past, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has denied that the Holocaust took place and has called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a "skilled killer" who should be "put on trial for killing women and children."

The AP reports that some of Iran's athletes won't even compete against Israel.

Iran isn't exactly known as an Olympics powerhouse.

In the Beijing games of 2008, Iran took home a gold medal in taekwondo and a bronze in wrestling. By comparison, the United States won 110 medals, and the United Kingdom took home 47 medals.

The London logo's design received a lot of criticism after its hyped unveiling in 2007 but nowhere near Iran's reaction.

An online petition to change the logo received about 50,000 signatures, the British Broadcasting Corp. reported then. Members of the British Parliament even tried to step in and get the logo changed. It was designed for a cost of about $650,000.

[MaryInBoise]

The only thing that offends me about this logo is that it is butt ugly and the colors are still seared into my brain. Note to the Olympic Committee: Neon colors went out in the 80s. But as far as being racist, I'd say it would be a bit of a stretch to read the word Zion in it.

[mecury69]

Crappy logo regardless of Iran's opinion. Had no idea it said 2012 until reading the article. They paid $650,000? Wow, I'm in the wrong business.

[Harden_Tar]

That is one of the worst logos I have ever seen. I didn't even recognize the "2012" until I read the story. It appears now that playing the race card has gone international. Hey Iran. B I T E M E.

[linfinster]

That is one fugly sign! !

I say we use this as an opportunity to change it anyway. The Brits can make an ,"Onion News" broadcast out of it and perhaps Monty Python cast members can do a new unveiling of the redo on in a show segment.

[vasya79]

why should they be offended?
what Afsharzadeh is essentially saying is that the Olympics committee is being racist. It is being racist because it's logo looks like it spells the word zion, thus isolating everyone who hates zion from participating in the olympics. What we should be asking is why should it is ok for Afsharzadeh to hate zion? Why is he demanding that people respect him (and his followers) for hating zion? Why is it ok for him to hate but not ok for the olympics committee to "discriminate" against his hatred?

Most importantly: Why does he think his blood is redder?

[outsource_congress]

I don't know who is more retarded: the people who designed this logo or the widgets who think it's racist. If it hadn't been attached to an article telling me it says "2012" I never would have seen it. It sure does't spell out "Zion". The logo is just plain ugly and illegible. Idiots, one and all. They walk among us...

[linfinster]

You are so right! I was thinking the same thing. I'm wondering why they were not laughed out of the PROVERBIAL room with such a request! They are probably sitting back somewhere having a laugh watching people scramble over such a ridicules interpretation.

[MichaelRivero]

This is somebody's idea of a joke. It is a stretch to say the logo says "Zion" in English, and it sure doesn't say it in FARSI! How many of you actually study logos to find offensive words IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE?

[empress1231]

Gee, if it really spelled Zion wouldn't the proper form be Noiz? And btw, Iran, please stay home, we will all be better for it.

[rf35]

If I were trying to see letters rather than numbers, it looks more like "ZOR" or "ZOK" to me. That nutball is always on the lookout for something to complain about and is obviously not above making things up.

$650K for that mess? What a rip-off. I could have done better than that and I'd only have charged $500K tops.

[jsf14]

Even if they were right (and I can't see it) why "racist"?

[lloydbest1]

I don't see it either. I am also willing to bet that even the head hoot over there doesn't really believe it either. What Ahmadine-jihad is trying to do is fend off a possible uprising that has toppled at least two regiemes in North Africa and is threatening several more there and in the Middle East. He's vulnerable. Last year's populist raree over obviously rigged elections shows how close the Iranian people are to tearing a page out of Tunisia's playbook and start the process of dismantling their own political machine. You can bet Mad Mamoud is none too enthusiastic about that prospect.

This "racist" broadside of his is merely an attempt to gain some attention and deflect his own peoples' preoccupation with political reform towards hurling abuse at his favorite strawman. If we and the British are wise we will merely shrug our collective shoulders and say, "Please yourself".