BOISE, Idaho – During any major national or international event, there’s bound to be a cultural conflict or grievance of some sort. The 2024 Paris Olympics are no different.
After an opening ceremony performance that event organizers say was intended to parody the Greek god Dionysus but drew criticism from Catholic and other Christian groups for including visual allusions to the Last Supper, the International Olympic Committee apologized for the display on Sunday.
A day later, a cohort of Republican US Senators including Idaho’s Jim Risch and Mike Crapo sent a letter to the committee alleging that the performance amounted to “anti-Christian bigotry.”
“We urge you to take immediate action by amending Rule 55 of the Olympics Charter to ensure that no faiths are the subject of mockery as part of the opening or closing ceremonies ever again,” the letter said.
Rule 55 of the charter delineates the procedures for Olympic opening and closing ceremonies. It does not currently contain any language curtailing freedom of speech beyond banning politicians from offering speeches during major international ceremonies.
“157 counties in our world are majority Christian nations, which is why your remarks following the mocking of the Christian faith rang hollow,” the letter continued.
Risch and Crapo say they signed onto the letter in defense of religious tolerance.
“The Games should unite people of every country, race, and creed,” the letter said.
Risch captured headlines in 2021 when some Muslim and Jewish religious leaders criticized him for halting the Senate confirmation process of Small Business Administration deputy administrator Dilawar Syed.
Risch argued that Syed had ties to anti-Israel groups because of his association with a civic organization that encourages Muslim Americans to vote. Syed became the highest-ranking Muslim official in the Biden Administration after his confirmation according to Politico.
The Republican letter concluded by calling for all people to be respected regardless of their faith.
“Every person, from every nation and every faith, should be encouraged to enjoy the Olympics without being belittled or mocked,” the letter said.
