Leader of Afghan women’s sport: Playing is political

By Sarah Odell and Lindsay Rico

Nasrin Arbabzadeh, the leader of the Afghan women’s sports delegation, has been actively working for years for the rights of Afghan women to complete in sports. In 2001, she traveled from city to city recruiting women to compete in the the Third Muslim Women Games. At the time, she told theMinneapolis Star-Tribune that she wore a burqa so as not to draw attention to her work. “My life would have been in danger if the Taliban had learned of my activities and my purpose,” she said.

During the opening ceremonies of those games, organizers staged a black out and many athletes wore black mourning clothing and carried candles as a sign of support for the 48 Afghan delegates. Their participation was a symbol of political resistance. “I’m competing here to denounce the Taliban’s uncivilized treatment of women in the name of Islam,” Salma Hosseini, tae kwan do silver medalist, announced at the time.

Last week, at the Fifth World Conference on Women & Sport in Sydney, Ababzadeh stood in a question and answer period, and sought insight into how to develop, support, and train female athletes in Afghanistan. “Does anybody know about the women in Afghanistan?” she asked. The hall was silent.

FGN spoke with Arbabzadeh about her work and the challenges for female athletes in her native country.

FGN: In Afghanistan, what kinds of sports do women compete in?

NA: They play football (Soccer), badminton, basketball, taekwondo, and volleyball. But it’s very hard for them. At first, their families are not happy and they make it difficult for the girls to play. But when these girls bring home medals and awards, then their parents are happy for them.

FGN: What are some of the challenges these girls and women experience?

NA: The difficulties don’t end with the family. Most of our athletes don’t have the right clothes, shoes, or food. And athletes who have become successful are often threatened. Sixty percent of people are happy with them, forty percent are not. People think they are bad girls because they have chosen to participate in athletics.

FGN:What is your role in women’s sports in Afganistan. Who has been important to your work?

NA: I am the first woman to start sports for girls in Afghanistan. I am so happy with Faezah Hashemi, the Iranian president of the Islamic Federation of Women Sport. She has helped lots of young women within the federation, regardless of what country they come from.

FGN: How did you first get girls involved in athletics?

NA: In 2001 I collected young girls who wanted to play sports brought them to the Muslim women games in Iran. The girls competed in volleyball, tae kwan doe, shooting, tennis, running, chess, and badminton. I paid for everything so my teams could go to this competition. The girls and their families were so happy, because in Afghanistan, there are no teams that allow women. But leaders in Afghanistan did not like what I was doing and I received threats, so [after the games] I went back to Iran.

FGN: Who was behind the threats? Why were you threatened?

NA: The Olympic manager. He did not have a lot of experience. He saw that I had experience and knowledge. I saw many things I wanted to change. I saw the disabled athletes had terrible equipment. I wanted to help them. I asked him why they did not have better equipment and he did not like that. He told my husband that if I had any more things to say about the Olympic management or problems, he would kill me.

Arbabzadeh now lives abroad, in Australia, and serves on the Women with Special Needs Committee for the Islamic Federation of Women Sport.

Source: http://fairgamenews.com/2010/05/leader-of-afghan-womens-sport-playing-is-political-and-potentially-life-threatening/

New Book On Shelves: "Muslim Women and Sport"

Edited by Tansin Benn, Gertrud Pfister, Haifaa Jawad.

• Binding/Format: Hardback
• ISBN: 978-0-415-49076-4
• Publish Date: July 9th 2010
• Imprint: Routledge
• Pages: 304 pages

Description:

Examining the global experiences, challenges and achievements of Muslim women participating in physical activities and sport, this important new study makes a profound contribution to our understanding of both contemporary Islam and the complexity and diversity of women’s lives in the modern world.

The book presents an overview of current research into constructs of gender, the role of religion and the importance of situation, and looks closely at what Islam has to say about women’s participation in sport and what Muslim women have to say about their participation in sport. It highlights the challenges and opportunities for women in sport in both Muslim and non-Muslim countries, utilising a series of extensive case-studies in various countries which invite the readers to conduct cross-cultural comparisons. Material on Iraq, Palestine and Bosnia and Herzegovina provides rare insights into the impact of war on sporting activities for women. The book also seeks to make important recommendations for improving access to sport for girls and women from Muslim communities.

Muslim Women and Sport confronts many deeply held stereotypes and crosses those commonly quoted boundaries between ‘Islam and the West’ and between ‘East and West’. It makes fascinating reading for anyone with an interest in the interrelationships between sport, religion, gender, culture and policy.

Contents:

Introduction - Muslim Women and Sport Part 1: Underlying Contexts 1. The Values of Physical Activity, Sport and Physical Education in the Lives of Young Women 2. Islam, Women and Sport 3. Muslim Women and Sport in Diasporas: Theories, Discourses and Practices - Analyzing the Case of Denmark Part 2: National Perspectives 4. Women in Sports Leadership in Bahrain 5. "Balancing between the cultures …" – Sports and Physical Activities of Muslim Girls and Women in Germany 6. Physical Activities and Sport for Women in Iran 7. The Sultanate of Oman and the Position of Girls and Women in Physical 8. Women and Sport in Syria 9. Struggling for Empowerment - Sport Participation of Women and Girls in Turkey Part Three: Case Studies 10. Palestinian Women’s National Football Team Aims High – Case Study to Explore the Interaction of Religion, Culture, Politics and Sports 11. Challenges Facing South African Muslim Secondary School Girls’ Participation in Physical Activities, Physical Education and Sport. 12. Religion and the State – The Story of a Turkish Elite Athlete 13. A Case Study on United Arab Emirates: Women, Disability and Sport Part Four: Narratives 14. Experiences of War in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Effects on Physical Activities of Girls and Women 15. Women in Sport in North Africa: Voices of Moroccan Athletes 16. Womens’ Narratives of Sport and War in Iraq Conclusion