An official ban on physical education for girls in Saudi Arabia is losing its stranglehold as the national team for the 2012 Olympics prepares for the possibility of containing a woman.
As of the last Olympics in 2010, Saudi Arabia, Brunei, and Qatar were the only countries to never have sent female athletes to the Games. Brunei and Qatar have each since announced they will be including women on the national teams.
If the Saudi National Olympic Committee caves to pressure from the International Olympic Committee–which itself is under pressure from Human Rights Watch–it is likely that Dalma Muhsin, a prominent equestrian competitor, will saddle up in London this July.
Such a phenomenon would be unheard of in the conservative theocratic state, which bans P.E. classes for girls in public schools, expressly forbids women to participate in the Olympic Games, and is vocal in linking female exercise with moral degeneration. Brunei and Qatar’s departure from the no-girls policy signals that the tables are turning. Saudi Arabia, which considers itself the theological center of the Islamic world, now stands alone amongst fellow Muslim nations in excluding female athletes.
As the balance of ideological sway regarding gender equity in sports shifts internationally, public sentiment within the country is changing as well. Three years ago, a picture of Jeddah United, a privately owned girls’ basketball team, was accompanied by the headline “Shameless girls” when it went to press. Now, women are organizing their own soccer teams and coaching programs under the radar. A state-run school in Al Khobar has tacitly consented to physical activity for girls by installing a basketball hoop in the students’ break area. The health benefits are undeniable, especially in a country reported to have a 43 percent female obesity rate.
“Once you are on the court, it acts as a stress buster,” Jeddah United founder Lina Almaeena said. “I would say, sports is better than Prozac…[Young girls] are forced to waste hours upon hours in shopping malls. Through Jeddah United’s unique events, we brought them onto the court and are trying to give them a direction.”
Girls’ physical education advocates admit there’s quite a bit of disconnect between their endorsement of female participation in organized sports and the traditional teachings of the kingdom’s Wahhabi-based belief system.
“But everyone’s opinions should be respected,” said health coach Rayan Karkadan. “We should try to explain to those against the idea the many benefits of physical education and the bad effects of obesity caused by the lack of physical activity.”
Perhaps most promisingly, members of the royal family sporadically endorsed girls’ athletics. Prince Khaled al-Faisal expressed agreement with an 8-year-old girl asking for exercise courts in school, and Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdul Aziz also indicated he was in favor of having female Saudi Olympians who “meet the standards of women’s decency and don’t contradict Islamic laws.”
While it’s not an easy shot for Saudi sportswomen, the upcoming summer Games may just push the ball a little farther into their court.
Creative Commons Love: AslanMedia and erjkprunczyk on Flickr.com
About the Author
Comments