Dalma rides the Paint horse Flash Top Hat

Much has been in the west about the deplorable situation for women in many Arab countries, most notably Saudi Arabia.

So it was encouraging to see in 2010 when Dalma Rushdi Malhas won a bronze medal in equestrian show jumping at the Youth Olympic Games in Singapore. She gave Saudi Arabia its second-ever Olympic medal, and its first medal from a woman.

You’d expect that Dalma would be riding again this year in the London, right?

Wrong. Saudi Arabia didn’t include Dalma in their qualifying team of six (male) riders, and of those six only four will actually go on to the Olympics.

Saudi Arabia’s laws severely limit what women can and can’t do. By law women are barred from playing in sports clubs, belonging to gyms, or working with expert trainers.

The advocacy group Human Rights Watch is calling for the International Olympic Committee to only allow Saudi Arabia to compete in the games if they send a woman to compete. Saudi officials have not ruled this out.

Should Saudi Arabia be banned from the Olympics if they deliberately deny a woman a spot on their team? Do you think it’s a fair to the country if not allowing women to play sports is a part of their belief system?