Saudi Arabian Women Want To Play Basketball

Finding time and a place to play basketball is tough for sport minded women in a Saudi Arabia. They have to play hidden away from view since they are banned from playing sports in public. (Aug 17)

By Faiza Saleh Ambah | Washington Post
Jiddah, Saudi Arabia - The Jeddah United women's basketball team trickled onto the court, each player wrapped in a black abaya and head scarf. Within minutes, the women had shed their cloaks and were in uniform -- white pants and jerseys with their names in red -- practicing layups, passes, and foul shots.

The team, made up mostly of Saudi students and housewives, is preparing for a local tournament this month. But what the women would really love to do, many said, is compete internationally and represent their country abroad, something Saudi Arabia does not permit.

"We want to reach Olympic levels," said Shatha Bakhsh, a law student. "We have a lot of potential, but not the chance to show it."

Saudi Arabia follows a strict version of Islam that bans men and women from mingling and does not allow women to drive or to travel without a male guardian's permission. Powerful religious clerics also ban sports for girls in public schools, deeming it un-Islamic, and recently canceled two rare all-women's events, a soccer match and a marathon. Gyms for women were closed in the early 1990s and have been allowed to reopen, but only when affiliated with hospitals.

Saudi Arabia is one of the few countries competing in the Olympics without a female delegation. Though the kingdom has come under increasing pressure from the International Olympic Committee to include women on its team, many in this deeply patriarchal and traditional society agree with the restrictions, believing that allowing female athletes could lead to Western-style independence for women and an erosion of established culture.

But Lina al-Maeena, Jeddah United's founder and team captain, said women's sports are a positive force and should be an integral part of every young woman's life.

"When parents say that sports is sinful for girls, it really upsets me, because they're depriving their daughters of something that's very good for them," said Ms. Maeena, who has two young daughters.

There are more than a dozen women's basketball teams in this Red Sea city, the country's most liberal, involving several hundred players. Some operate legally but quietly under the umbrella of women's charitable societies or as part of private high schools and colleges, but others operate without a government permit, as in the case of Jeddah United.

Many of the teams maintain a low profile, refusing photos and interviews for fear of drawing attention and being forced to shut down. But some, like Jeddah United, are seeking to make public appearances and are pushing for change.

The phenomenon has prompted sharp words from the conservative clergy. In a recent posting on the website, islamlight.net, prominent Saudi sheiks Abdul-Rahman al-Barrak, Abdullah al-Jibreen and Abdul-Aziz al-Rajhi issued a fatwa, or religious decree, banning women's sports centers in the kingdom.

"Opening these centers is one of the main reasons and the biggest doors leading to the spread of decadence," the decree states. "And it is known that the only women who will frequent these centers are those with little or no manners."

"The idea of Saudi women playing sports is socially unacceptable to some people," Maeena said. "That's the barrier we're trying to break."

The original audio "Basketball Jones", has been muted and replaced by youtube do to a copyright claim.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• Islamic
• Terror
• Misogyny
• Saudi
• Arabia
• Female
• Sports
• Basketball
• Pervert
• Mohamed
• Koran
• Allah
• Olympics
• Arab
• Middle
• East
• Blasphemy
• Satan
• Bikini
• Misogynistic
• Repressive
• Oppressive
• Cruelty
• Abuse
• Covered
• Clothing
• Sex
• Perversion
• Misogynist
• Hate
• islam
• girls
• women
• 2nd
• class
• citizens
• Obama
• Osama
• Fascist
• Socialist
• Communist
• Nazi
• NWO
• Communistic
• 911
• Truthers
• liberty
• freedom
• lookhearsee

[ReneeDeRiyadh]

the ONLY reason that im still staying in my country Saudi Arabia, my parents, i don't want to leave them, but i sure do want to leave my country.

FUCK THE LAW

[lookhearseee]

@0544986005 Well then you think wrong, for me it has nothing to do with that. It has to do with freedom. Seems you treat your women like they are something you own. Bottom line, women are second class citizens in SA.

[solomonpilot767]

@MrMadda7 la wellah geltan ana bes bagl al7giga yabn al7alal!

[mariasorry]

and again saudi governments really hates modern society....

[MrMadda7]

@solomonpilot767

اقلك انت مسوي زاحف على راسي ؟

روح مناك يا ورع

[fnhxlufvi]

هههههههههههههههههههه وين السعوديات بالضبط انا ماشفت الا شاميات ...ولا كل من عاش بالسعوديه صار سعودي

[solomonpilot767]

@MrMadda7 agoolek REWGNYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!

[MrMadda7]

@solomonpilot767

And becareful bud do not say anything wrong about Saudi Arabia

[MrMadda7]

@solomonpilot767

i dont know what u want bud!!!

i'm sorry bud ya she has to say al7mdellah because she's a muslim.

actually we all have to say al7mdellah we're muslims bud..!

Enjoy it :)

[MrMadda7]

@solomonpilot767

u still have no idea :D

im saudi and proud to be saudi :)

[solomonpilot767]

@MrMadda7 just say al7mdulilah u r saudi girl wow,it should be just thank allah u r a muslim girl,hw about other non saudi muslims the can,t say al7amd lilah?i suggest that u think b4 u comment my friend allah yahdeek!

[solomonpilot767]

@MrMadda7 faynek ya begra welysh matrd.teb3an megboor lew tgl shay ya7bsook,l3lmek 3indy sa7b s3oody gali mayeby yerja3 als3oodia zewgta 3ala amrikya shgra muslma mebsoot wakz al jinsia wesema ibno 3al ismy alserra7a ra7a yabn al7allal yameda7 w almlk lilah 7ata mlkna almegrbi koos okto f aman allah!