Afghan women are being threatened with death for joining soccer teams, and were chased out of their space in the Afghan national stadium because of Islamic expectations on the role of women in society, modesty, the segregation of the sexes, and the belief that violence is an acceptable recourse against "disobedient" women (Qur'an 4:34). The piece below, while interesting and illustrative of the problem, is a veritable symphony of circumlocution about its origins.
Apparently only a "liberal" and irreligious society can save women's soccer... if only there were some more specific detail to target for reform. If only... "Afghan women footballers risk death threats, disapproval," by Nick Paton Walsh for CNN, June 8:
It is rare that you see a football match interrupted by a military helicopter landing. But that is what the Afghan women's football team, a group of remarkably hardened and brave soccer enthusiasts, regularly face.
That's after the death threats, and parental disapproval and the ostracizing. You see to many Afghans, in this conservative society, women just aren't meant to play sports at all.
Khalida Popal, their captain, has received threatening text messages from those who say she must stop shaming her society. She's even persevered in the face of her family telling her to stop playing for her own safety.
"I love football and football is everything for me and when I come and feel the football I forget everything and I become very happy when I see my team", she said.
Now her team has a real problem on their hands: They have nowhere to practice.
For the past few months, they were allowed into the main stadium in Kabul. It's where the Taliban used to publicly execute people - but now it's covered in real grass.
Not that the girls got used to it: They were relegated to a patch of concrete down at one end.
But even that's now out of bounds - local officials telling them they can't use the space any more.
So we join them in a strange new world. NATO has taken pity on them and loaned them a small patch of grass just inside the outer walls of its main headquarters in Kabul.
It's grass. And there are goalposts. Yet one small problem remains. The grass is not just meant for football. It's also a helipad -- an active one.
The girls are about 10 minutes into their practice when the sound of the Black Hawks begins.
Two US soldiers calmly walk onto the pitch and wave them off, securing the landing zone.
The girls sit calmly by the side of the pitch, as the three-star general lands. And then, before the helicopter wheels have even left the ground, they're dribbling the ball back onto the pitch.
This fight - to play the game she loves - has been incredibly tough for Khalida. When her parents told her to stop, she could no longer see the point of living.
"When my family stopped me to play football, when they said, 'No, just stop playing football,' I tried suicide." But she survived.
Some of the disapproval against the women stems from how nearly all of their few international matches took place abroad, conservative Afghans particularly outraged by women traveling unaccompanied overseas. [...]
For some of the girls, the constant beat of threats and jibes can take its toll. "I might get more threats, so I'm thinking about quitting," said Khattol Khan, another player. "Two other girls did and fled the country. My family wants me to and doesn't even know I'm here today."
We caught up with her father, who didn't know she was still playing. He expressed his genuine fears for her safety, but also his enduring pride at her spirit.
"Yes, my daughter is studying in at the technical institute, and I have got someone who looks after her," he said. "I give her a lift every morning to school, and in the afternoon her brother brings her back home. I am worried, but I am also proud."
Football is a source of quotidian joy around the world. But here, in a society wracked by religious fervor and habitual violence, it's at times at matter of life and death.
Who's coming after them, the Salvation Army? Of course, implicit in the refusal to name the religion behind the "fervor" in Afghanistan implies that all religions are equally prone to violence if sufficient "fervor" is there.
"Conservative" Afgans. This is how the mainstream media draws a parallel between political conservatism here in the U.S. and fanaticism / extremism in the Muslim world. These are not extremists. They are politically and religiously conservative.
"....conservative Afghans particularly outraged by women traveling unaccompanied overseas.[...]"
"There is no fun in Islam" - the sociopath Ayatollah Komeini
The girls are about 10 minutes into their practice when the sound of the Black Hawks begins.
Aircraft designed and manufactured in the United States, and paid for by its taxpayers.
Two US soldiers calmly walk onto the pitch and wave them off, securing the landing zone.
And our boys, risking maiming and death, just doing their jobs to secure victory in Afghan.
*** 33:21 ***
I'm gonna go look up our definition for victory in Afghan. So long as I'm at it I'll look it up for Iraq, too. I'll be back when I discover these critical documents and let you know what I find out.
"Conservative" Afgans. This is how the mainstream media draws a parallel between political conservatism here in the U.S. and fanaticism / extremism in the Muslim world.
Excellent point, Jew. To name it to know, to know is to control; to misname is to lose control
Ted and his treasonous wife Jane know this.
*** 33:21 ***
I'd quibble, though, with your word "extremism." They ain't nothing extreme about Moslems, they're just acting out on their system. Acting... as in Activated.
Islam's fear of women....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OCGUwZmrCM
"I'd quibble, though, with your word "extremism." They ain't nothing extreme about Moslems, they're just acting out on their system. Acting... as in Activated."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Understood. From my perspective their acting out on their system is extreme because the Islam of the prophet is extreme. Compared to Moses and Jesus, Muhammad was an extremist. Apparently CNN thinks orthodox Islam is conservative. Conservatives are generally cautious, moderate, etc. Maybe CNN thinks these Muslims are conservative because they respect the traditions of their fathers. If so then CNN must think the Sharia practiced by the Taliban is conservative. Related to your point is the question, what is a 'good' Muslim?
Let's turn to the Qur'an -
9:112 "The Believers fight in Allah's cause; they slay and are slain, kill and are killed."
A 'good' Muslim, then is ready to kill unbelievers in the name of Allah and is also ready to die waging jihad. Questions? Didn't think so.
Guys,you have got to watch this video where DOUGLAS MURRAY(atheist,British) beats TARIQ RAMADAN(the most famous Muslim intellectual in the West) in a debate about building mosques.It is only 3.5 minutes but what an answer!
http://www.antisharia.com/2011/06/10/douglas-murray-takes-apart-tariq-ramadan/
PLUS READ
The case of ABDUS SALAM,the ONLY scientific genius to appear in the last 600 YEARS in the Muslim world,who said he was a Muslim,and is rejectd by the Sunnis and Shias as having been a Muslim:
http://www.antisharia.com/2011/06/09/abdus-salamsaid-he-was-a-muslim-was-the-only-scientific-genius-from-the-muslim-world-in-600-yearsand-rejected-by-sunnis-and-shias-as-a-muslim/
I think that this happens in Afghanistan at all, is great. It is great that women like Khalida Popal exist! Although the scale of this women-football is probably very small. Can it persist and evolve? is that why NATO is there?
Here again in the news it is obfuscated what role Islam plays in this attitude of so many Muslim Afghans, vehemently and violently against women exercising their free choice, playing soccer and travel autonomously.
But if feminists and all caring women and men consider these essential human rights, then the question should be asked; what influence have Islamic tenets on that free choice. And there is huge evidence that these tenets have a very detrimental influence on that free choice.
The next question then should be whether it is more important to protect the human rights of girls/ women now and in the future (because this will evidently play for a long time to come, so will be influential on many future generations)
or to protect the feelings of Muslims by ignoring all the evidence THAT Islamic tenets have a detrimental influence on some human rights. And in so doing, desperately by now, whitewashing Islam, ignoring its real message or at least very confused message and bad influence?
I think human rights protection and promotion should clearly trump any sparing of feelings of Muslims or the protection and promotion of Islam. When there is so much evidence that this is the choice to be made by Western citizens, media and politicians. I think CNN often throws human rights under the bus in favor of "respect for Muslims". Human rights the reporters still very much want for themselves, other citizens and their descendants.
The MSM does not categorize other countries' politicians as conservative or liberal based upon their ideologies. They define them based upon the media's bigotries: evil politicians in other countries are conservatives and good politicians are liberals. That is why I've seen AP and Reuters call Communist and Islamist leaders conservatives even though both desire communally (individual rights subordinated to the community) centered totalitarian societies, a belief that exists in America only on the far Left.
CAIR is working very hard into releasing a strongly worded statement denouncing the injustice of the situation.
//sarc off
Definition of Islamic soccer: no balls.
it is so sad. last week the Iranian women soccer team was disqualified from the world cup because their head scaves was deemed to dangerous. and there is an article in todays NYtimes that the Afghan government is very happy with themselves as Talibans are only attacking 10 girls school a month.
God I hate ISLAM!! an oppressive religion I was forced to pratice for 19 years.
M
"...a society wracked by religious fervor and habitual violence..."
Occasionally even CNN comes up with a succinct and accurate phrase characterizing Islamic societies. Unfortunately, they neglected to make the explicit connection to the underlying system possessing those characteristics - Islam. Nowhere in the parent CNN article is the word "Islam" or any of its derivatives used.
The CNN story includes a picture of some of the girls. They are wearing hijabs.
What are we fighting for in Afghanistan again? Or are we fighting AGAINST something? Funny, but I can't recall which it's supposed to be just now...
For the past few months, they were allowed into the main stadium in Kabul. It's where the Taliban used to publicly execute people...
............................
Yes—and many of the people they executed were girls and women for doing just the sort of things that these soccer players are doing.
When we do pull out, what are the chances that the stadium in Kabul is once more going to be used for public executions? Even with us there, Afghanistan is an Islamic hell-hole.
Impressive. Such a long article, without one mention of the I-word...
One could almost think they were writing about the Amish!
When we do pull out, what are the chances that the stadium in Kabul is once more going to be used for public executions?
Follwing Petraeus' "hearts and minds" logic, the Pentagon should build a more modest stadium for soccer, and leave the big one, the native Moslems were somehow able to actually build themselves, for enforcement of the Sharia.
I tell you we can do this cuz now are troops are in the construction business. Building facilities for the infacile Moslems we're paying and dying to save from Islam. In other words, to save them from themselves.
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By building a new stadium our constructor-troops would separate the Moslems from the fun of soccer, for there is no fun in Islam.
The old stadium would be kinda like a big courthouse. Sitting right there smack in downtown, the County Seat.
That was a pure joy to behold! He nailed the cold-blooded, reptile Ramadan, and did it so nonchalantly. I doubt if Ramadan picked up on the subtle sarcasm until Murray mentioned Ramadan's 'terrorist' grandfather. I loved it!