It's not 100% clear, but from this short report in a Bulgarian paper it appears that new women's world champion Antoaneta Stefanova was not allowed to give her planned charity simul in Tripoli because of her gender. (It also mentions that she wasn't allowed to replace Morozevich in the KO, but that seems to be a separate issue.) Her presence in Libya is also notable because of the scandalous case of five Bulgarian nurses being sentenced to death in Libya in May. It has been front page news in Bulgaria for a month.
Where is the reference to her gender?
Per the Anna Sorenstam-Vijay Singh debate, I don't believe she should've played either. She didn't qualify... and she had every chance to qualify since she is a GM and played in several tournaments. There would have been a lot of upset men who were in the pipeline.
My understanding is Stefanova was not allowed to give a simultaneous exhibition because of her gender. The Vijay Singh/Sorenstam debate is completely unrelated. People don't compete for the right to give a simul. I think you're mixing participation in the FIDE championship with the simultaneous exhibition Mig referred to. Those are separate events. Granted, the article mixed them as well, so it's difficult to know what exactly happened.
The article led you to believe that, but it wasn't clear.
I think you mixed up my comments... I know you don't qualify to give a simul. The point I was making was that she should not have been allowed to compete in the FIDE Knockout tournament (or replace Morezevich) based upon her champion status... she did not qualify.
The Soremstam/Singh debate is the same issue. Soremstam was allowed to compete in a golf tournament given her status in the women's circuit even though she didn't qualify. I can't see why you don't see the relation.
There would be a relationship if Mig was talking about the FIDE Championship, but he wasn't. He was talking about the simul. As Mig noted, that was a separate issue. I think Mig was focusing on the horrible gender discrimination and oppression in Libyan society, at least as exemplified by Stefanova not being allowed to conduct a simul because of her gender. I think you missed the point of Mig's post. Or maybe you decided to talk about something else intentionally.
The report, the stilted English of which makes thing even harder to understand, refers to "males" in the title and first paragraph regarding the cancellation of the simul. I can't imagine why this would be mentioned if the cancellation was not due to her gender. I don't have more information on it, but I do know other GM's simuls went forward as scheduled. It shouldn't surprise that a place where women are second-class, if not third-class, citizens would feel uncomfortable with a woman giving a simul against a group of men. (I do NOT want to start a debate with those who defends traditional Islamic treatment of women or says that women aren't fully equal in Western society either (granted). Both arguments are irrelevant to the Stefanova situation.)
In Mig's post he stated parenthetically, "(It also mentions that she wasn't allowed to replace Morozevich in the KO, but that seems to be a separate issue.)" That's was what I was giving my opinion... the separate issue, the KO tournament. My only reference to simul was asking where gender was referenced in the article. In news, you cannot make assumptions about content... especially when the article's English was horrible (e.g., "quitted").
My question to you Moneybiker is "What do you really know about Libya to make such comments?" Have you traveled to North African region? I have. I hope your impressions are not formed by the Western media. From what I have studied of Libya it is far different from other nations in the region. Of course, these are not Western cultures and to judge them based on a Western standard is blatant ethnocentrism.
Just got a report from Libya's Nizar ElHaj (FIDE's Regional Director) who stated that Antoneota Stefanova DID play in a simultaneous exhbition three days ago in Libya. The reports from the Bulgarian press do not seem to be accurate and are apparently misleading.
Daaim Shabazz, The Chess Drum
Sorry... I mispelled the champion's name... I meant "Antoaneta." I suppose I'm still reeling from having to cover the 2nd round FIDE match of Zvjaginsev-Wojtkiewicz.
Daaim Shabazz, The Chess Drum
Doc Nice -- Mig has requested that this not turn into a debate over the traditional Islamic treatment of women, so I'm not going to discuss this issue with you. Even if Mig hadn't made his request, I'd let this go since I really don't have any interest in discussing the issue with you. Nothing productive would come of it. All I was trying to say is I think you were raising issues (the golf debate) that didn't have anything to do with the point Mig was trying to make about the simul. I hope the reports of the simul going forward are accurate. If you want to post about the FIDE championship "issue" some more, knock yourself out.
Monkeybiker... I respect your posts, but you should read my posts carefully. I never made any points about gender discrimination, nor did I make any points about the simul... you did. I only asked a QUESTION about where gender was mentioned in the article. My COMMENTS were about her being a possible substitute for Morozevich in the KO... a side issue.
Granted, I think it was a misunderstanding. Let's rest on this.