Mock Christianity? How brave. Now do Islam

In lampooning the religion that teaches followers to ‘turn the other cheek’, the organisers of the Olympics opening ceremony were laying bare their cowardice

In 1981, the film Chariots of Fire was released to critical acclaim. A central theme of the film – which scooped four Oscars, including one for Best Picture – was the refusal of Scottish athlete Eric Liddell to compete in his chosen event - the 100-metre sprint - at the 1924 Olympics in Paris. Liddell was a committed Christian, and the heats for the event had been scheduled to take place on a Sunday. So he wouldn’t race.