Thou [translation: female] shalt not play soccer.
This latest decree from Saudi Arabia, in effect, cancels its first Women Soccer Championship.
The decision came after a visit by the general manager of the Ministry of Islamic affairs, endowments, and guidance to the college organizing the championship. The Saudi-affiliated Al Arabiya news website did not report the reasons behind the abrupt announcement.
Banning the championship is yet another classic Saudi example of using Islamic values to justify and perpetuate patriarchy. Some of the readers’ comments on Al Arabiya’s report reflect this mix-up. I may have accidentally spewed cereal on my computer screen after a laughing fit while reading this comment: “Imagine if this suddenly happened. Your sister kicking the ball…you see her wearing a t-shirt and your mother is the goalie. And the world/men/cameras focused on their br…and she’s running after the ball. How would you feel then?” Yes, indeed God forbid, women in t-shirts!
Somehow the idea of muscular men in tiny shorts running around the field, occasionally stripping their t-shirts in excitement after a goal, is not enticing to women . After all, they’re supposed to be sexually naïve and oblivious to the blonde good looks of Beckham and other players.
Falcon, Ferrari, Red Devil, and Virus, the four women’s teams, can look forward to a lifetime of football: from their TV screens.
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2 comments:
A savory read. Thinking about it now.
By the way, have you returned the laptop yet?
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