Girls, Sports and a Slow Cultural Revolution
May 12th, 2008 Catherine Posted in Opinion, Sports | 
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In this area, there is girls soccer. There is a league for girls between the ages of six and eight. When one watches these kids play, the ball seems so much bigger. Not much scoring happens but there are kicks, chasing, falling and loads of encouragement from parents. Win or lose, it is fun for everyone.
There is also a local high school in this community that seems to have good girls basketball teams every year. The team receives special coverage in the local paper as it tries to advance in its season. And the girls wear their team jackets. It is really a cherished item.
In some parts of the world, sports activities like this would not be possible. Girls would not have such opportunities. It would be against the law.
Donna Abu-Nasr, in an article for Associated Press, illustrates the cultural divide:
“…In Saudi Arabia, women cannot drive or vote and have few legal rights. The restrictions stem from the strict version of Islam the kingdom follows. Many conservative adherents believe that women’s emancipation will lead to decadence and a dissipation of Islamic values.
…Despite such obstacles, Saudi women have quietly been forming soccer, basketball, volleyball and other teams throughout the kingdom in the past few years. Some operate under schools and universities, others are under the umbrella of charities…”
link: Underground sport: Saudi women shed veils to play basketball
From the Saudi perspective, the moral decay of females starts at an early age in the western culture. It is a difference in belief systems that bombs and bullets will not resolve. Perhaps this is a revolution that begins on the soccer pitches and basketball courts…
Catherine Forsythe
Tags: culture, Donna Abu-Nasr, females, Law, Religion, Saudi Arabia, Sports
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