Norway bans Russian music contestants
NewsThe Queen Sonja Singing Competition in Norway has made the following announcement:
Singers born in 1991 or later are welcome to apply for the Queen Sonja Singing Competition 2023. The 2023 competition will be held in Oslo from the 15th – 26th of August. The competition’s regulations determine that participants represent their respective nations. The competition board endorses Norway’s condemnation of Russia’s illegal and brutal attacks on Ukraine. The competition stands in solidarity with Ukraine and its citizens. Applications from singers with Russian or Belarusian citizenship will therefore not be accepted.
This appears to be wildly unfair.
Most sporting competitions are now open to Russians, so long as they do not vocally endorse the Ukraine war. (The Australian Open tennis competition is presently dominated by Russians.)
And thousands of Russian and Belarus exiles have now fled to other countries. Will they, too, be banned from Norway?
How incredibly imbecilic. What about Turkish singers? Or those from neutral countries like China?
Protest and boycott this stupid competition!
Wildy unfair, certainly, but signalling virtue requires it.
Also, in cancel culture, there is no such thing as forgiveness. An apology is an admission of guilt, leading to – being cancelled.
Putin may rejoice in making the most of this, no more defections to the West, as in the USSR.
Ah, look at that. Our friendly Vikings have nothing better to do than to use the same fascist methods.
Shameful : first : nobody chooses his/ her country of birth / citizenship and not everyone agrees with its politicians ! Boycott this racist competition
The New York Times reported on October 30, 2022 in “How Russia Pays for War”: “International trade with Russia boomed this year.” According to the NYT, exports from Russia to Norway increased by 21% since the invasion of Ukraine. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/10/30/business/economy/russia-trade-ukraine-war.html. Was there a concurrent statement of the board on this increased funding of Russia’s illegal and brutal attacks on Ukraine? Since they got into the subject anyway…
The Norwegian competition’s statement reads like hypocrisy and false moral virtue signaling to me. People have no say in where they were born and which citizenship they have. It takes years and years to become a citizen of another country provided one is eligible. As much as they condemn this terrible war, people have to live with whatever citizenship they happened to be born with many years ago.
The right decision. Those who believe in their supremacy and don t respect the right of other countries for independence and kill civilians- they must be punished for their conduct.
What s the problem of some people with such a decision? Unless they are russians and want it both ways.
Fabulous. So let’s ban the UK and the USA for invading Iraq and Syria. Lets ban Israel for crimes against Palestinians. Let’s ban Poland for their anti lgbt. Lets ban Germany for WW2. Let’s ban all the neutral countries too.
I’m sorry, but what planet are you from? I’m sure the country you are from is not free of all evils, past and present. You are incredibly deluded and I feel sorry for you.
A monarcy is per definition apolitical, and therefore it is of particular disappoinment to see a competion “run” by a Queen go to these pathetic measures.
Of course, without Russian/Belarusian singers, it will anyway be a B competition. Down the drain with them. Bye.
The vassal “country” takes their marching orders from the US empire. Most EU “countries” included. Not at all surprising. Onward and downward.
„The competition’s regulations determine that participants represent their respective nations“
Who came up with this reactionary nonsense rule? Music overcomes national borders, not fortifies them.
Straight back to the middle ages, shame on those people in Norway.
The competition does not only excludes Russian and Belarussian singers, but also singers, who have the dual-citizenship, never were involved in politics and do not live in Russia since many years; long time, before this war – wich we all condemn in the strongest possible ways! – started. These applicants also dod not have the choice to represent the country of their other passport!
Excluding young singers won’t end this war a hour earlier. The Russian government even won’t notice, but the young artists are loosing a big chance.
This is the wrong way. And her Majesty, Queen Sonja, chairlady of the competition, indeed should not support political statements, made under her name.