The future of the US$2 million Dubai Open may be at risk after Israeli tennis player No. 1 Shahar Peer was prevented from competing in the event. The world number 48 from Israel has been denied a visa into the Gulf state, bringing a critical statement from the Women's Tennis Association, which runs the women's tour. The Dubai Tennis Championship is one of the WTA Tour's most prestigious events and this week features every player from the world's top 10 except the injured Nadia Petrova.
Last year, Peer was given a visa to play in the Qatar Open in Doha.
"We are deeply disappointed by the decision of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) denying Shahar Peer a Visa that would permit her to enter the country to play in the Dubai Tennis Championships," Larry Scott, chief executive of the WTA, was quoted as saying by AFP. "Ms. Peer has earned the right to play in the tournament and it is regrettable that the UAE is denying her this right.
"Following various consultations, the Tour has decided to allow the tournament to continue to be played this week, pending further review by the Tour's board of directors.
"Ms. Peer and her family are obviously extremely upset and disappointed by the decision of the UAE and its impact on her personally and professionally, and the Tour is reviewing appropriate remedies for Ms. Peer and also will review appropriate future actions with regard to the future of the Dubai tournament.
"The Sony Ericsson WTA Tour believes very strongly, and has a clear rule and policy, that no host country should deny a player the right to compete at a tournament for which she has qualified by ranking."
According to the Israeli press, Peer holds a Slovakian passport but insisted on entering Dubai with her Israeli passport. Peer's brother said the 21-year-old player applied for a visa months in advance and was assured by tournament organisers that she would be allowed entry.
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Peer tennis player banned
Can the Dubai tournement authority get much lower? Will they get more petty? The world watches and shakes their collective heads in disgrace. After the restof the world rids it’s slef of oil products which they are doing now what will the Arabs have? Ridiculous charges and stupid decisions are an embarrassment to the rest of the Muslim world who want peace FOR everyone not a perverson of interpretation of the Koran..by the narrow minded Islamic leaders who know NOT how to lead but will lead us into isolation..Idiots..
You are not an Arab
Nasser. You seem to have a lot of admiration and respect for your buddies the poor innocent zionists. You try to put us down and make us feel weak but know you and all people like you that we have the values of Islam and that we will raise our children this way. Islam is not the terrorist evil religion the ignorant people in the west think. They only believe what their biased media tells them. You all need to be fair and know the true Islam and not have double standards. As for you, Arab or not, go and live among your people, they would really love you. We don’t fear you or Israel, we only fear our Lord.
The true owners??
60 years ago when the so called true owners started a war against the Palestinians and drove them away, my aunt and uncle were lost in the war, my cousin was killed as we escaped. Our lands were taken. I can give you the name to verify. So, it is amazing that we have no right to complain, and that we kill the poor Zionists with bombs. I have been living in the western world for many years now. I have been mistreated and discriminated against for being a Muslim countless times. You have no problem treating Muslims like dirt because “many” are terrorists, why is it not ok to speak up against Israelis who have no remorse when it comes to killing us?
It’s not nice to admit but
we Arabs are a bit backward... this sort of behaviour is simply not acceptable in the modern free and open world.
So unless we leave the middle ages behind us and joint humanity we will carry on being embarrassed by these pathetic embargoes on other free people.
Nasser
Nasser you are as much an Arab as Pink Flying Pig. I see you are still around knocking Arabs. What about chastising the the baby killers in the Israeli Army. They left in a haste when they went into the heart of Gaza City; where they were met by Hamas Ghosts. The Isreali Baby Killers did not know where these fighters were coming from. So it was pack our back and run back to illigimate mother Israe Hell. And as for Egypt; once brave warriors now arse kissers.
That’s a really good argument.
.. except for that whole piece about Israel winning in very clear and categoric terms. I can just about see how you could spin the 2006 Lebanon war as a victory (just about) but there’s no way you can claim Hamas drove the IDF out of Gaza. They came did what they had to do and left when their govt decided the time was right.
Muslim world Uprising & Unity
Your backwords that think western world R the only ones to understand the world. Your backwards that think we as muslims have to bend our heads & kneel in front of those who have misunderstanding of the Moslems and think we are slaves as 50-200yrs ago. Moslems are not as before. They are responsing to the calls of their holy prophet to say no to zionests who have ruled the holy lands illegaly for more than 600yrs. I thinks its enough to be stupid after the great holy moslem uprising. We as moslem are not weak. Think of a great moslem united world not the weak as they want U to think
Surprising...
To read this from an Arab after we all witnessed what Israel and the "modern and open free world" did to our brothers and sisters in Gaza. This world that you are talking about is the one that needs to join humanity when innocent children and women are blindly killed. I applaud what the UAE did although I think they might have to deal with some consequences...but doing the right thing is not always easy.
Quite right Sarah
after all this woman is personally responsible for many innocents deaths. Have you not seen the video of her laughing whilst gunning down children? Oh no actually that never happened did it. If it is okay to ban her from visiting an Arab country for being Israeli then presumably we can ban any Arab from visiting the Western world. Afterall there are rather a lot of Arab terrorists. This sort of thing is just plain stupid.
Come on - lets be honest
talking about what the Zionists did to the Palestinians brings to mind the words glass, house and stones.
In other words, Sarah (you chose a nice Jewish name), The Palestinians are in no position to complain, having attacked the Zionists with suicide (and other types of bombs for many years). And I did warn, in this forum too, many times, that when ever we rejoice about killing Zionists, we need to remember that they will come back to punish us.
The trouble with the Zionists is that they have learned the lessons of their history - the will not allow anyone to attack them and get away with it.
Doing the right thing
doing the right thing means promoting peace, coexistence, and tolerance, the jews were the true owners of the land before you, today both peoples suffer, and your contiued "jihad", intolerence, is not "doing the right thing", it is not always easy to question your dogma, and make peace, but that is what you must do- inshallah
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