Connect with us

Culture

French prosecutors investigate harassment of Khelif

Published

on

French prosecutors investigate harassment of Khelif

French prosecutors opened an investigation into a complaint made by Algerian boxer and Olympic gold medalist Imane Khelif about online harassment over her gender and presence at the Paris Games.

The Paris public prosecutor’s office confirmed in an email that it received a complaint from Khelif on Monday and referred the matter to the OCLCH, the Central Office for Combating Crimes against Humanity and Hate Crimes. The OCLCH is investigating charges of cyberbullying based on gender, public insult based on gender, public provocation to discrimination and public insult based on origin, the prosecutor’s office said.

The Associated Press reported that under French law, it would be up to prosecutors to decide who might be at fault.

The OCLCH confirmed it is responsible for the investigation but said it could not provide a copy of the complaint “in view of the confidentiality of the investigation.”

On Sunday, Khelif’s lawyer, Nabil Boudi, said in a statement on Instagram that his firm had filed the complaint with the online hate unit of the Paris prosecutor’s office.

Advertisement

“This unfair harassment suffered by the boxing champion will remain the biggest stain of these Olympic Games,” he said.

Khelif, who won a gold medal Friday, faced a torrent of negative attention on social media throughout the Games. Her first bout in the 66-kilogram (145-pound) division ended abruptly when her opponent, Angela Carini of Italy, quit within 46 seconds after squarely taking some hard punches from Khelif, including one to the nose that left Carini complaining that she couldn’t properly breathe.

Khelif was assigned female at birth, has always been identified on her legal documents as a woman and the International Olympic Committee has repeatedly affirmed her qualifications to compete in a women’s division. But Carini’s quick concession drew attention to a decision by the International Boxing Association last year to disqualify Khelif and another boxer, Lin Yu-ting, from its world championships. (Lin won a gold medal Saturday night in the women’s 126-pound featherweight division.)

GO DEEPER

Questions and answers: The Olympic women’s boxing gender controversy

Advertisement

The IBA said Khelif and Lin had advantages over other women, based on tests it administered during its tournament. But it did not release details of the tests and its officials publicly and messily retreated from a plan to share more specific results during the Games. The IOC, in rejecting the IBA’s assertions, said they reflected more on the IBA’s disorganization than its authority in women’s sports.

The flap stoked discord among sports fans and advocates surrounding extremely touchy topics of inclusion, fairness and the complex biology of sex. Numerous people online criticized Khelif with incorrect assertions.

Boudi called the chatter a “misogynistic, racist and sexist campaign.”

Required reading

(Photo: Ulrik Pedersen / DeFodi Images via Getty Images)

Advertisement

Culture

Try This Quiz on Thrilling Books That Became Popular Movies

Published

on

Try This Quiz on Thrilling Books That Became Popular Movies

Welcome to Great Adaptations, the Book Review’s regular multiple-choice quiz about printed works that have gone on to find new life as movies, television shows, theatrical productions and more. This week’s challenge highlights thrillers first published as novels (or graphic novels) that were adapted into popular films. Just tap or click your answers to the five questions below. And scroll down after you finish the last question for links to the books and their screen versions.

Continue Reading

Culture

Test Your Knowledge of the Authors and Events That Helped Shape the United States

Published

on

Test Your Knowledge of the Authors and Events That Helped Shape the United States

Welcome to Lit Trivia, the Book Review’s regular quiz about books, authors and literary culture. In honor of Gen. George Washington’s birthday on Feb. 22, this week’s super-size challenge is focused on the literature and history related to the American Revolution. In the 10 multiple-choice questions below, tap or click on the answer you think is correct. After the last question, you’ll find links to exhibits, books and other materials related to this intense chapter in the country’s story, including an award-winning biography of the general and first U.S. president.

Continue Reading

Culture

Video: How Much Do You Know About Romance Books?

Published

on

Video: How Much Do You Know About Romance Books?

Let’s play romance roulette. No genre has dominated the books world in the last few years. Like romance, it accounts for the biggest percentage of book sales, their avid fan bases. Everyone has been talking about romance as a Book Review editor and as a fan of the genre myself, I put together a to z glossary of 101 terms that you should know if you want to understand the world of romance are cinnamon roll. You may think a cinnamon roll is a delicious breakfast treat, but in a romance novel, this refers to a typically male character who is so sweet and tender and precious that you just want to protect him and his beautiful heart from the world. Ooh, a rake. This is basically the Playboy of historical romance. He defies societal rules. He drinks, he gambles. He’s out on the town all night and is a very prolific lover with a bit of a reputation as a ladies’ man. FEI these are super strong, super sexy, super powerful, immortal, fairy like creatures. One of my favorite discoveries in terms that I learned was stern brunch daddy. A lot of daddy’s usually a male love interest who seems very intimidating and alpha, but then turns out to be a total softie who just wants to make his love interest brunch. I think there’s a misconception that because these books can follow these typical patterns, that they can be predictable and boring. But I think what makes a really great romance novel is the way that these writers use the tropes in interesting ways, or subvert them. If you can think of it, there’s probably a romance novel about it. Oops, there’s only one bed. This is one of my personal favorite tropes is a twist on forced proximity. Characters find themselves in very close quarters, where inevitably sparks start to fly. Why choose is the porkulus dose of the romance world. Sometimes the best way to resolve a love triangle is by turning it into a circle, where everyone is invited to play. Oops, we lost one spice level. There’s a really wide spectrum. You can range from really low heat or no spice, what might also be called kisses. Only then you start to get into what we call closed door or fade to Black. These books go right up to the moment of intimacy, and then you get into what we call open door, which is more explicit. And sometimes these can get very high heat or spicy and even start verging into kink. There’s one thing that almost every romance novel has in common. It’s that no matter what the characters get up to in the end, it ends with a happily ever after. I say almost every romance novel. Sometimes you’re just happy for now.

Continue Reading

Trending