Afghani female sprinter resists country's old ideals, vows to show women new future

[obamanut2012]

ONDON – She could see the men gathering along the track where she trained back home in Kabul, a daunting gauntlet of soccer and volleyball players surrounding the lone woman in the stadium. And Tahmina Kohistani tensed. Something felt wrong. Then they began to shout.

"You can't win a medal from the Olympics, it's not your job!"

"Just be in your house!"

"It's not good for us for an Afghan girl to run!"

"Be behind your man!"

For a moment, tears burned in her eyes. It was not long before she would go to London, to become the only female athlete from a country that does not believe women should play sports. And after 10 minutes of the taunts, she went home that day saying she would not come back. She said she was through. She said she could never face the men again.

But the next morning she did return, because if she didn't, who would? Who would tell the women in her country that they could run too? Who would push for their freedom?

<snip>


http://sports.yahoo.com/news/olympics--afghani-female-sprinter-resists-country-s-old-ideals--vows-to-show-women-new-future.html


Interesting article (and short), I recommend taking a couple minutes to read it.

A lot of kick-ass and brave women in London.

[msongs]

1. compared to the saudi "female who submissively does what her daddy tells her nt

[Gormy Cuss]

2. Frankly, I'm surprised that the Saudi's father lets her compete at all. n/t

[Starry Messenger]

3. Consider that women get lashed with a whip just for driving a car.

It's illegal and they are completely forbidden. I think it's pretty brave she's gotten this far. Hopefully it will break trail for other women to be able to widen a path to progressive reforms.

[4th law of robotics]

5. If she hadn't the repercussions could be pretty severe

This isn't just a matter of having some awkward dinners when you get home.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

8. it's easy to show bravado at the cost of someone else

when she goes home, she has no rights. under these circumstances i would obey my father too. especially given saudi society where my father is probably thought to be some left wing progressive who at all allowed his daughter to participate in a sport

[obamanut2012]

9. This

And, if you read some of the articles in the Judo thread, her father has b0een publicly condemned by clerics for training his daughter in private.

[4th law of robotics]

4. Cheering against their own country

religion does strange things to people.

[obamanut2012]

6. I thought that, too, 4th

Bigotry makes thought processes very... irrational.

[Zorra]

7. You go, grrrl.

Fast and far.

[Marrah_G]

10. I really hope she is not killed when she returns home

I was in tears when I saw her marching into the stadium. Also when the Iraqi team came in lead by a woman I was so proud of them for having so much courage.