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Ben Sulayem denies sexism: 'It's a smear campaign!'
- Ludo van Denderen
An old statement cornered Mohammed Ben Sulayem earlier this year. The FIA president reportedly said that he "does not like women who think they are smarter than men because they are not." In an interview with the PA news agency, Ben Sulayem now denies being a sexist.
The global motorsport federation boss claimed in the medium that he was the victim of a smear campaign. "I'll tell you exactly what it said. It says: 'I hate it when women think they are smarter than us.' But they hate it when men think they are smarter than them. Did I say we are smarter? No. Did I say they are less smart? No. For God's sake, if that's all they have against me, come on, you could do worse than that."
Ben Sulayem then goes on to charge that precisely no one is as woman-friendly as he is. He claims to be the first FIA president to appoint a female CEO (Natalie Robyn, ed,). Ben Sulayem has also created a committee to work towards more diversity in the sport. Finally, the Emirati says, he has a female personal adviser.
Ben Sulayem finds allegations 'inhuman'
Actually, Ben Sulayem does not want to respond to the allegations at all. Still, he says: "Sexism, please! Do they have anything else? Why don't they come to me and confront me? The attack on me earlier this year was inhuman, with the tragedy I had [he just lost his son in a car accident at the time]. I wish if I really did these things, you would come here and throw it in my face. But don't make things up or that one bothers me. And then when I say one has to prove it, they run away and you don't hear anything. That's not the way."
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