Olympics: Religious insults; Zimbabwe’s team

I am addicted to opening ceremonies of great sporting events, simply for their rich artistic content which usually, a hymn to creativity in choreography — the sheer verve. 

After the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, however, I am in two minds about continuing with my addiction. Like the millions of Christians, joined by Muslims and Jews around the world, I was offended by the kitsch tableau in the Games’ opening ceremony that parodied the iconic painting, "The Last Supper", one of Christianity’s most revered symbols.

Towards the end of what I thought was a near-perfect opening ceremony in Paris, organisers of the games shocked me, plus millions around the world, with one of the unkindest insults to religious conscience (pardon my double superlatives).

Nothing I have seen as an art critic of over 40 years standing beats this most horrendous desecration of Jesus Christ. Well aware of the stand of Christians on LGBTQI++, the organisers were at their most offensive in the use of a transgender model among drag queens and dancers lined along a table with a semi-naked singer painted in blue.

An actor sat in Jesus’ seat wearing a woman’s bathing suit that highlighted cleavage. Another actor wore only blue paint with a vine on genitals. 
Very repulsive, if you ask me. Most revolting and nasty, if anything could be.

Not unexpectedly, the first salvo was fired from the Vatican. Archbishop Charles Scicluna of Malta, adjunct secretary of the Holy See’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, said the Catholic Church has deemed the reinterpretation of the biblical scene as deeply offensive.

The Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) condemned the mockery of Jesus Christ, stating that it “indicates complete ignorance of the concepts of freedom and human dignity.”

What gladdened my heart most of all were the messages from the Muslim community. The Muslim co-founder and national communications director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said, “Muslims are offended,” explaining that “Muslims revere Jesus as a prophet of God. We are against any kind of action that mocks religious figures.”

Egypt’s Al-Azhar, the highest seat of Sunni Muslim learning, also condemned the “insulting scenes”. These scenes, it said, “depict Jesus Christ in an offensive manner, disrespecting his honourable person and the high status of prophecy in a reckless barbaric way that does not respect the feelings of believers in religions and high human morals and values.”

It warned against “the danger of exploiting global events to normalise insults to religion and promote destructive and disgraceful social diseases such as perversion and transgenderism.”

Irreverence

Finally, a word from Yours Truly. As a member of the human race concerned about the doubtful sanity of a section of God’s highest creation, man, I can only wonder what could have actuated such irreverence.

Perhaps the answer is found in the reaction of the Russian Orthodox Church. Vakhtang Kipshidze, deputy chairman of the church’s Synodal Department for Church Relations with Society and the Media, was sad to see a culture based on godlessness growing in the centre of Europe, parodying Christianity just as a monkey parodies a human being.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued a formal apology, but not before a reaction from the world of business. The US-based technology company, C Spire, has pulled its advertisements from the Olympics.

Zimbabwe

My second commentary on the Paris Olympics has to do with Africa – and not necessarily Ghana. Before his death, Professor Atta Mills taught Ghanaians to “Dzi wo fie asem”, a word of advice to mind our own business.

That notwithstanding, when I see an African country’s beard on fire, I cannot but start looking if I have a pot of water within reach.

The recent street action by Kenya’s GenZ, where hungry and angry protesters not only overran soldiers and police to enter Parliament but also set it on fire; the waves of violent demonstrations by Nigerians across that country; these should be grounds enough for any journalist anywhere in Africa to warn the continent’s ruling classes that the populations of Africa are fed up with misgovernance, kleptocracy and impunity.

By now, everybody has learned of the controversy sparked by Zimbabwe's 2024 Paris Olympic Games delegation.  Despite only seven athletes, the country sent 67 officials, including the Vice-President, Dr Constantino Chiwenga, and his wife.

Zimbabwean journalist, Hopewell Chin'ono, wrote on X, positioning the “sheer size of the official delegation, particularly in contrast to the small number of athletes” against the backdrop of a time when (the country) is begging for drought relief assistance from countries that sent huge teams of athletes with very few officials."

Not unexpectedly, PR explanations have been quick. A government spokesman said the Vice-President was in Paris for "other business", including attracting investments.

Zimbabwe is battling food shortages due to severe drought. In May, President Emmerson Mnangagwa declared a state of disaster, saying it needed, at least, two billion dollars to respond to the drought.

The writer is Executive Director,
Centre for Communication and Culture.
E-mail: ashonenimil@gmail.com