Harry Potter creator JK Rowling has sparked controversy by calling Algerian boxer Iman Khalif a man. Ms Rowling’s remarks came after Khalif defeated Italian boxer Angela Carini at the ongoing Paris Olympics 2024.
The Carini-Khalif bout lasted 46 seconds, when the Italian boxer decided to quit the bout to “save her life”. Soon after, she fell to her knees and started crying and even refused to shake hands with Khalif. The Algerian boxer was declared the winner.
“I’m very sad… I went into the ring to pay tribute to my father. I was told many times that I was a warrior, but I stopped doing it for my health. I’ve never taken a punch like that,” Carini said.
Reacting to Carini’s defeat, Ms. Rolling wrote on X, “Watch this (the entire thread), then explain why you think it’s okay for a man to beat up a woman in public for your entertainment. This is not a sport. From the bullying cheaters in red uniforms to the organizers who allowed this to happen, this is just a case of men enjoying their power over women.”
He also shared a video clip of the fight.
Watch this (the entire thread), then explain why you think it’s okay for a man to beat up a woman in public for your entertainment. This is not a sport. From the badass cheaters in red to the organizers who let this happen, this is all a case of men enjoying their power over women.
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) August 1, 2024
Following this, she shared a post by Christie Burrows, the head of the Safe Sport unit at the International Olympic Committee (IOC), in which she criticised her for “allowing a man to get in the ring with her (Carini)”.
“You are a disgrace, your ‘security’ is a joke and #Paris24 will be forever tainted by the cruel injustice done to Carini,” he added.
In another post, Rowling shared a photo of Carini crying and looking at Khalif. “Could any photo better express our new men’s rights movement? The smile of a man who knows he is protected by a misogynistic sports establishment, enjoying the misery of a woman whose head he has punched, and whose life ambitions he has shattered.”
However, Rowling’s post has been criticised by many, who pointed out that Khalif was raised and identifies as a woman, and is not transgender. One user also pointed out that Algeria is a “fundamentalist country where homosexuality and gender change is illegal and she had to overcome the barriers of her father’s disapproval to be able to box.”
Iman Khalif was born in Algeria. It is a fundamentalist country where homosexuality, gender change is illegal and she had to overcome the obstacles of her father’s disapproval to be able to box. She looks like an average female boxer. You deserve to be spit on in the streets. pic.twitter.com/HSLiLnEV29
— Hera (@HeraNayori) August 1, 2024
As per the rules, athletes with differences in gender development (DSD) are currently eligible to compete in the female event at the Olympics.
What is DSD?
These are a group of rare conditions that involve genes, hormones, and reproductive organs. Some people with DSD are raised as female, however, they have XY sex chromosomes, while their blood testosterone levels are in the male range.
Last year, Algeria’s Khalif was disqualified hours before her gold medal bout at the World Championships in New Delhi for violating the International Boxing Association’s (IBA) eligibility rules, which do not allow athletes with XY chromosomes to compete in women’s events.
Why is he allowed to compete in the Paris Olympics 2024?
In June last year, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) stripped the International Boxing Association (IBA) of its status as boxing’s global governing body after it failed to complete reforms over governance, finance and ethical issues, Reuters reported.
As a result, the IOC is now governing the boxing competition at the Paris Games and its rules apply regarding the inclusion of athletes with DSD, as well as gender diversity in the women’s competition.
Who is Iman Khalifa?
The 25-year-old hails from the Algerian city of Tiaret and is currently a UNICEF ambassador. Although her father “did not approve of boxing for girls”, she decided to inspire the next generation by winning gold medals on the big stage.
She made her debut as a professional at the 2018 World Championships and finished 17th. During the 2019 edition of the event, she came in 19th. At the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, she was defeated by Ireland’s Kelly Harrington in the quarterfinals.
Amid outrage on social media over her eligibility, the IOC defended Khalif and said, “All athletes participating in the boxing tournament of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 comply with the eligibility and entry rules of the competition, as well as all applicable medical regulations set by the Paris 2024 Boxing Unit (PBU). As in previous Olympic boxing competitions, athletes’ gender and age are based on their passports.”
Khalif is competing in the women’s category in the 66 kg division.
