Ali Al-Ahmed (IHT, May 19, 2008):
ISLAM AND THE OLYMPICS:
Bar countries that ban women athletes!
Countries with men-only Olympic teams include
Brunei, the United Arab Emirates and
Saudi Arabia. According to their respective
governments, women are barred from Olympic participation for "cultural
and religious reasons." For some countries, women's clothing
mandated by the conservative interpretation of religion
precludes their participation in most sports - for instance,
Iran's female Olympians were limited to pistol- and
rifle-shooting at the Barcelona, Sydney and Athens Olympics.
Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world
where women are legally banned from participating in any sports
activity (though
unofficial women’s basketball leagues are thriving). This
doesn’t sit well with local women athletes. "We want to reach
Olympic levels," explains Shatha Bakhsh, a member of the
unlicensed Jeddah United basketball team. “We have a lot of
potential, but not the chance to show it.” Her teammate, Lina
al-Maeena, agrees: “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.”
Iranian women are limited to sports that can comply with the
country’s legal dress codes, so diving, cycling, and beach
volleyball (among others) are effectively off-limits. Only three
women are on the Iranian Olympic team, competing in rowing,
archery, and tae kwon do. But even these athletes have to be
careful not to reveal any skin by accident: Iranian rower
Ramoneh Lazar was recently
expelled from the national team after her ankles were seen
inside her boat during a competition in Bangkok. (Crime-Report).