Moment of Silence for Munich Athletes

rockygirl · Post by **rockygirl** » Mon July 30th, 2012, 11:24 pm

Does anyone feel that this should have been done somehow during the Opening Ceremonies or at some point during the Closing Ceremonies?

I guess my feeling is "if not now, when?" I supported a moment of silence and was sad to see it didn't happen.

I was 7 years old when the murders happened. It's the first news story I remember.

Madeleine · Post by **Madeleine** » Tue July 31st, 2012, 9:01 am

Yes there's been a lot of debate about it but I don't know if they've decided anything yet.

At the opening ceremony they did have a moment for those who can't be with us and lots of photos flashed up, but they didn't say who they were.

Vanessa · Post by **Vanessa** » Tue July 31st, 2012, 9:12 am

I they were the people who died in the London Bombing in 2007.

Madeleine · Post by **Madeleine** » Tue July 31st, 2012, 10:44 am

I thought that too, but wasn't sure if there were other people featured too.

sweetpotatoboy · Post by **sweetpotatoboy** » Tue July 31st, 2012, 10:33 pm

Personally I think it's disgraceful that the IOC has not agreed to mark it officially. The Israelis and the UK Jewish community have been asking for an official commemoration at the Games for a long, long time, but the IOC refuses.

Recently, both London mayor Boris Johnson and prime minister David Cameron have said they are in favour of it but that ultimately the decision is down to the IOC, which is essentially run by one man, Jacques Rogge. He met two of the widows of victims recently and refused to agree to it and refused to give a reason why - at least according to their account of the meeting with him.

Without an official explanation, one can only hazard a guess that the IOC is afraid of offending Arab sensibilities by appearing to take sides in the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. Whilst I understand that the IOC wishes to remain apolitical, at the end of the day 40 years ago a terrorist attack at the Games, targeted at the athletes of one participating country, ended in 11 of them being killed.

It shouldn't matter what nationality they were or whether you agree with the politics of the country they came from. They were innocent victims of a terrorist attack at the Games and the IOC should have the guts to commemorate it officially at this landmark anniversary. It's difficult to imagine that if British or French or Italian athletes had been killed, for example, that an official commemoration wouldn't be happening.

rockygirl · Post by **rockygirl** » Tue July 31st, 2012, 10:47 pm

You summed it up far better than I ever could.

Ash · Post by **Ash** » Wed August 1st, 2012, 12:58 am

Of course they should. But it probably would have been edited out by NBC like they did the commeration of the victims of 7/7......

Madeleine · Post by **Madeleine** » Wed August 1st, 2012, 8:47 am

Very well put SPB, and I think your explanation for not having a commemoration makes sense.

LoveHistory · Post by **LoveHistory** » Thu August 2nd, 2012, 3:28 am

I read that the only time a moment of silence for the victims hasn't been done since the event was when Moscow hosted the Olympics. Every other games up to the current games have observed the custom. If the request had been granted, it would have been just another games where it was done. Not allowing it is a much bigger statement than allowing it would have been.

I don't think it costs anyone a thing to be silent for a moment in memory of people who were only trying to represent their country the best way they could. They weren't politicians, they weren't figureheads or statesmen. They were just people.

Madeleine · Post by **Madeleine** » Sun August 5th, 2012, 10:59 am

I've just read that the Italians had a private service.