This may be a bitter surprise for many, bitter enough in fact to jolt our conscious. Four years from now, specifically by 2010, no country in the world will be allowed to participate in any international sports activity or join international sports federations unless their women are allowed to compete. In plainer words, countries which do not send women athletes to international sport events will be banned from taking part in the Olympics.
Some have argued that nations which ban women from taking part in international games are violating international human rights laws and the Olympic Charter. The charter prohibits any form of discrimination with regard to a country or a person on grounds of race, religion, politics, sex or anything that is incompatible with the ideals of the Olympic movement.
This is a real predicament for us. We are about to face an extraordinary situation that we may never have imagined. We continue to impose a blanket ban on physical education and sports for women in our schools and colleges.
Extreme views are being expressed, all of which demand a continued ban on women’s sport; those holding such views consider sports for women unlawful and a great sin that only arouses sexual desire. This issue of physical education was even brought up at the National Dialogue Forum held last year and the forum recommended that the ban be lifted. The consultative Shoura Council discussed the issue and passed a bill legalizing physical education for girls. Unfortunately, the situation remains unchanged.
Most Muslim countries have long allowed women to participate in sports activities and even undergo military training. Some have organized Muslim Games with Muslim women competing before crowds of women only in a variety of events including skiing, tennis, swimming, gymnastics, basketball, shooting, fencing and others.
We are not only required but are obliged to become part of today’s world. Islam is the religion that suits all times and places. It easily adapts to the requirements of modern times and has never been in clash with modernity as some vainly imagine. Countries that have managed to strike a balance between their religious convictions and today’s needs have successfully integrated themselves into the modern world and have refused to live as outcasts.
We need to rid ourselves of all unjustified sensitivities and live a normal life, free of apprehension and fear. Minister of Education Dr. Abdullah ibn Obaid, who served as the first chairman of the National Society for Human Rights, must act now to make physical education for our girls an integral part of the education system. We should draw from the experience of other Muslim countries that have gone this way before us. As for the clothing to be worn, this must be both practical and competitive while meeting the requirements of Islam which demands modest dress.
