Underground Sport: Saudi Women Shed Veils to Play Basketball
I read an article entitled, Underground Sport: Saudi Women Shed Veils to Play Basketball by Donna Abu-Nasr from FOX News.com dated on May 8, 2008 that was quite interesting. The article discusses and describes the way the women are viewed in Saudi Arabia. The way women are viewed has a direct connection to women’s participation in sports as well as in physical education classes. Saudi Arabia is depicted in the article as a very conservative Muslim country where women have limited, if any, rights. For the most part the sexes are mainly segregated due the strict Islamic religion. For example, women are not allowed to either vote or drive, and sadly females are not allowed to participate in the Olympics. Therefore, even physical education classes are banned, resulting in a higher obesity rate among Saudi women. According to the article the Islamic faith and the society of Saudi Arabia, characterize women’s involvement in sports is “following the devil’s footsteps”. As a result, there being two female basketball teams Juddah United versus the Jaguars (two independent teams) gained much media attention. Saudi Arabia male sports are aired on television and played at major stadiums. The game did not draw a big crowd like the men’s sports events do. There were thirty women in the audience cheering on their fellow female peers in the game.
Overall, I picked this article because it showed how motivated these women are. It was exciting these women were brave enough to fight against all odds and their own religion in order to assert themselves. Reading article I found myself at first being angry at the Saudi leadership, but then I know that I have to understand how much religion and culture are one in the same, which is so different in this country. Here there are not necessarily religious prohibitions against equality in sports, but antiquated ideas about women’s gender identity, femininity, and sexual orientation. However, I do hope that these women in the two basketball teams do make a difference and pave the way for more women to have the ability to express themselves the area of sports.. The health risk is another major factor that needs to be questioned and thought about. These women’s involvement in sports is amazing; I hope that they will make a difference in Saudi Arabia.
-Melissa Walz KIN 338I W 7-9:45
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1 comment:
That's a very interesting article. Its sad to think that women in saudi arabia have to hide from something as simple as playing a baskeball game. For me its kind of disturbing how much religion and culture can affect the way women are treated. And how there hasn't been a stronger uprising of women trying to obtain more rights. Its sad that a women has no rights, that they cant speak freely and literally have zero rights. At what time or if at all will there ever be a feminist movement in saudi arabia? Is there even a feminist group in that country or is it the smarter choice to save ur own life and just follow the rules? I give props to the women that played in this basketball game because im sure there was some risk involved.
Kyle H
Kin 338I W7:00-9:45
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