Just watching the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics, with all the countries’ athletes marching into the stadium in the Parade of Athletes.
As the Iranian delegation walked in, a palpable, clearly audible boo was heard from the assembled audience. Why did I hear this so clearly? Not just because I’m acutely attuned to anything about somebody who wants to wipe me off the map, but actually because just before Iran, a thunderous cheer went up as the small Iraqi delegation marched into the stadium. There are at least two other people in the room with me who heard the same, and I don’t think I’m making this up. We’re watching the opening ceremony on British EuroSport Live channel, and even the commentator, after hearing the crowd’s reaction to the Iranians, said, “Quite a controversial welcome for the Iranians.”
The contrast between the cheer for the Iraqis and the boos for the Iranians was very distinct, and very interesting. Has Iran become a pariah state?
Now, a lot of other people are talking about Iran getting booed.
Truth is I feel bad for the Iranian athletes. I can’t imagine how great it must be to march into an Olympic stadium representing your country, only to have it tinged by something like this. What’s going on in the mosques of power in Tehran is not the athletes’ fault.
However, when something like this happens, you do have to wonder.
Clearly Iraq has a lot of sympathy in the world. And I wonder if Iran’s image in China [and not just in Israel and America] is negative. I’m sure there a lot of Chinese at the Olympic stadium now, but also tens of thousands of audience members from other countries. Who booed the Iranian delegation? I don’t know what the average Chinese person thinks about Iran’s policies, but I’m guessing that the average Chinese person doesn’t have much of an opinion on Tehran’s push for nuclear development, or their support for Islamic extremist groups. Perhaps there was a majority of foreigners at the stadium. In any case, it sounded pretty much like a wall-to-wall boo at the Bird’s Nest Stadium.
Israel got a decent cheer as well as Palestine [4 athletes].
So far, Brazil and Spain seemed to get the largest cheers, with Canada coming close.
The Russian delegation got quite a huge roar, despite the fact that Russia and Georgia are, as of today, officially at war.
I thought that countries were not supposed to go to war with each other during the duration of the Olympic games.
America just got a huge cheer.
Well, good for you. If Iran had the right tools (CNN – BBC – FOXnews and most of western media) to inject bull shit in people’s mind all over the world, maybe they could get a decent cheer. I’m not a fan of Iran, but I am sure Iran has committed way less crime to the humanity than Israel. Who are you kidding?
I heard it too! Although I’m American, I think Iran shouldn’t get disrepected in the Olympics.
I thought I was the only one who heard that lol. I thought it was very rude to boo a country, even if no one likes them they could at least clap or something.
I felt so bad for the Iranian athletes….not their fault they have a crackpot running the country….
I think you are deaf. Nobody got booed, and certainly not Iran. Why would they be booed? Iran’s and China’s relations are very good (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran-China_relations). Why boo? For what? For America’s Foreign Policy that the Chinese don’t give a rat’s ass about?
Go educate yourself on the world. You clearly lack a lot of knowledge and base your opinions off FoxNews.
I don’t think the point is to wipe you off the map.
The point is to have a “majority rules” system where everyone gets a vote, regardless of religion. And in the meantime, possibly make life better for the indigenous population.
You’re just repeating the crap found in the mass media.
Interesting since China’s government is very much opposite “majority rules” as well. It is a Communist country. Do you know what Communism means?
Redneck Americans trying to justify their foreign policy is hilarious.
Wow! James B, I see that you have been brain washed by liberal marxist propaganda. I hope people read you post and see how difficult America’s liberal Main stream media has made it for rational thought. You are the one spreading misinformation and some day, when you grow-up you will realize this.
The North Koreans also got booed.
I didnt hear the boo, but i believe you.. I think its more of a response to nuclear weapons proliferation, which is a strong euro and i bet asian sentiment not at all simply an american influenced thing! I do feel bad for the athlete but i feel torn.. I mean, I would prolly support any booing of the sudanese team.
I saw the ceremony on NBC in the US and the “cheering” for Iran was certainly different than that for Iraq. I was surprised as well. Iraq got a thunderous cheer. The Iranians barely got any response from the audience. I did not hear boos, but I basically heard silence (well about as silent as 85000 people can be). Seem strange to me, what could the Chinese people have against Iran?
P.S. what is that idiot talking about Fox News in his anti-american rant? The majority of the people cheering/booing were Chinese you dimwit! I’m pretty sure they are not “brainwashed” by the American media….
I heard booing. Iran’s leader’s wacky plans to crush Israel are in no one’s favor. If he goes off the deep end and nuke’s them it will of course cause a chain reaction that will threaten China’s and the Russian interests of that nation.
American media is bad, it shows favoritism towards liberals and has direct jewish influence.
the U.S. is the best country in the world and we will crush you.
Maybe they were yelling, boo-urns… get it?
here it for yourself
This is very good that China doesn’t stand for Iran‘s childish and barbaric behavior. If they started acting like human beings then the world will start treating them like ones!! 我也是中国人。
I am an Iranian-American, that is no fan of the current regime, however, I thought that it was very unclassy of the crowd to boo the Persian athletes.
I am also perplexed as to the comments on this site, it seems that most of the pople here are ignorant to the fact of 100 years of oppressive US policy towards the Iranians.
Good luck in Weighlifting and Wrestling which is were we clean up on gold medals!!!
Apparently, the chinese turn out to be racist as well.
I don’t see a problem with Iran getting booed, and who’s to say some of their athletes aren’t in gov’t or extremist. I doubt anyone on here did any research on that. This is sports, some teams are going to get booed, some aren’t. If the people of China don’t like Iran or the people who represent Iran let them boo all they want. If these games were in the UK or US or some other western country it probably would have been the same reaction. By booing them, it shows they don’t support the Iranian gov’t and their f’d up extreme policies. Although China own policies aren’t the greatest, I don’t ever recall hearing a Chinese leader saying a country like Israel should be blown off the map, which was said more than once by Iran.
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The cheers that was heard when Iranian squad came was just the follow up of Iraqi squad. But it was the silence or ‘don’t care’ attitude which hit the stadium for Iranian squad. I didn’t hear hear the boo actually. But it shows majority of the spectator hardly cared for those poor guys/gals in green.
The Iranian got booed? I am a Chinese national and now my whole body is red and sweaty with shame. Who were the idiots sitting in the stadium that day? Since when do Chinese resonate Western views?
Did you hear the moronic IRI regimes response the Iranian woman who carried their flag. A disgrace and a shame they said. And waffled on about it like she was the satan in the flesh for carrying that flag. They even said the the 12 imam would be so displeased it would delay his return.
The 12 imam is their version of the returning Jesus coming to rule over the world.
So they stone women to death, make them wear veils and beat them if they don’t, treat them like garbage in virtually every way…….no surprise to me that they probably want to execute her for carrying the flag.
Geez…..and people still debate about if Islam is repressive of women. Lets debate as to if a frogs arse is watertight