December 28 2005

Wanna Talk religion?!

“A few public girls’ schools in Jeddah submitted requests to have gymnasiums built, but their hopes for introducing physical education classes were dashed after the Ministry of Education announced that physical education for girls would not be allowed.
the Ministry of Education stated that it “would not introduce physical education in girls’ schools” and requested that the media “respect religious, literary and national responsibility” in this regard.
Source: Arab News

With all my respect to the Saudi Ministry of Education, but, really, till when are they going to handle people as fools!
Why does it always have to be in the name of religion?! Please explain to me in what way did Islam ever prohibit females from practicing sports?!
Just tell me what “religious, literary and national responsibility” are they talking about?!
Since when has taking responsibility meant forbidding and ignoring!

When are they going to have the courage to admit that they’re using religion to apply rules they –personally- believe are the best!
Didn’t Islam call for the equality of women and men? Didn’t Islam urge parents to educate their children of both sexes equally!!

What religious responsibility are you talking about for God’s sake?! Does that mean that all other Muslim countries that proudly give women the right to physical education do not respect their religion?!! Come On!!

Saudi women are like any other women in the world, they’re smart, creative and ambitious, and why are you forcing them to give up their rights, why are you deleting their role in society?!!

This is irresponsible and totally unfair.



Copyright 2018. All rights reserved.

Posted December 28, 2005 by Eman Abukhadra in category "Arab Societies", "General", "Religion", "Women

14 COMMENTS :

  3. By Omar Abo-Namous on

    Thank you for this article. Did you hear about QTel in Qatar censoring chat-software? I thought they too would argue, that chatting could be used in haram and therefor they had to shut it down.. I have read they shut every other service down, so that people would use the chat-software of QTel…

    Salam.
    Omar

  4. By Kinzi on

    Don’t they know that physically fit women give birth more easily? Maybe from that angle it would be permitted?

  5. By Bashar on

    Excellent post..

    I have never been to Saudi, but i don’t like to hear people Saying: Islam is not a good religion…..

    – I ask why?

    – They reply: Saudi is applying true Islam and look what is happening their?

    I reply : who told you that saudi is applaying true islam?????

    because I know Islam is not bounded and should not be attached to a government or a country.

  7. By sk8er boi on

    I gave up on them a long time ago, been to saudi for 3 months and couldn’t find an explanation for anything

  8. By nar on

    I lived in Saudi for a long time and went to their “Wahhabi” scholls and I think this is a case (in thier mind) of “al amr bil ma3roof” which is staying within the norms and customs of the society. I think society and religion is what defines many people, so they mix the too.

    Forbidding physical enducation is abviousely triggered by the desire to supress women. I learned at school (in Saudi) that the prophes, peace be upon him, used to race (run) his wife Aisha for fun.

    –nar

  9. By Jawad on

    Eman: I wish you and your family a wonderful new year full of happiness and joy.

  11. By Eman on

    Thank you all for your sweet and nice comments. Let’s just hope the poor ladies over there will finally be treated as they truly deserve!

    Jawad, I wish you a Happy New Year too, you and your loved ones. I appreciate it so much that you remembered me

  12. By Jamal on

    This is actually quite silly, although im not surprised the saudi govt have done this. They ban physical education for women claiming it to be unislamic, while they pursue their own power, wealth, greed and business with western corporations and governments.

    There is nothing in islam to say that women cannot do PE. All that is needed is to have a gym soley for females, taught by females. The qur’an focuses on physical and personal wellbeing, aswell as the spritual, mental and social.

    PE is good for the health, helps to sustain welbing and life, and should in this context actually be considered Islamic.

  13. By Anonymous on

    off comment: I was reading in a book briefly that the wahabist movement wanted at the beginning to reform islam, to make it more modern at the same period when Protestants challenged the catholic church! The book also says that wahabists were very violent and exclusive and that made them remain closed to any public debate! does anybody have an idea on wahabists, how they became like that and what the hell is going on there?
    I mean, now it’s maybe in saudi arabia, but through their TV channels and petrol money they are to influence young guys from other countries as well, very often those young men know very little about the history of Islam, the wahabists and their own orientation (sunni, chiaa or whatever, although i’m against deviding muslims like that)

  14. By Too Much Cookies on

    sport ist frauen mord?
    Excerpt: Aquacool – eine jordanische Bloggerin – hat mit ihrem Artikel “Wanna Talk religion?!” den Nagel mit dem dicksten Hammer auf den fettesten Kopf getroffen! Es geht darum, dass das Bildungsministerium eine Anfrage von Mädchenschulen abgelehnt…
    Tracked: 12.29.05 – 12:02 am

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