September 8th 2024.
Imane Khelif recently spoke out against tech billionaire Elon Musk for his role in fueling a hurtful and relentless campaign of abuse against her during the Olympic Games in Paris this summer. Khelif, who made history as Algeria's first Olympic gold medalist in women's boxing, faced constant scrutiny and backlash due to her disqualification from the Women's World Championships last year for not meeting the International Boxing Association's gender eligibility rules.
Despite always competing in the women's division and identifying as female since birth, Khelif was still subjected to online hate throughout the Games. Even after her impressive 46-second win against Italian boxer Angela Carini, she received criticism from influential figures such as Musk, J.K. Rowling, and Donald Trump. Musk had shared a post from American swimmer Riley Gaines, stating that men do not belong in women's sports, and added his own comment of "Absolutely."
In a tearful interview on the French TV show CLIQUE, Khelif bravely called out Musk for his actions, labeling them as "cruel." She revealed that he was one of the first to attack her during the hate campaign, sharing a video that was then retweeted by others. Khelif expressed her confusion and pain over why someone like Musk would lead such an attack against her, stating that it has not only affected her but also her family, especially her mother who was going to the hospital every day at that time.
Since her gold medal win, Khelif has filed a legal complaint against the social media platform X, which is owned by Musk. The lawsuit, filed under French law against unknown persons, accuses X of facilitating "acts of aggravated cyber harassment" and names Rowling and Musk as perpetrators. According to Khelif's attorney, Nabil Boudi, they are also requesting that the prosecution investigates anyone else involved and potentially holds them accountable in court.
Khelif, a devout Muslim, shared that she was able to get through this difficult time with the help of her faith. She hopes to become even stronger in the future and come back even more motivated. Her bravery in speaking out against the abuse she faced has shed light on the damaging effects of cyber harassment and the importance of holding those responsible accountable.
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