GIRLS SMOKING IN SAUDI ARABIA

Up in Smoke Tariq A. Al-Maeena, talmaeena@aol.com

While out for dinner the other night, my wife looking over a table of young girls barely into their teens, turned to me and said, “Isn’t it ironic that these girls are freely allowed to smoke the argeela (water pipe) which is so harmful to their health and yet are denied the opportunity for physical education in their schools?” As I turned my attention to the group seated at the table and happily engrossed in animated conversation with each other while busily puffing away at their individual water pipes, I felt a pang of pain. These girls were not much over 16 or 17 years of age. And here they were sucking up to a fast-rising social phenomenon that has crossed over the age barrier and now is a fad among the young. From the experienced manner in which each girl was handling her water pipe, I wondered if they realized the consequences of such social habits to their health. And then I reflected on a recent letter I had received from a lady university professor who was elated when her pupils were allowed to play soccer on a soccer field against girls of another university. While her elation was justified in the face of past opposition to such activities by our girls, my concern was over the “under-the-wraps” approach that event was handled by. Why are we so afraid to allow our girls to participate in physical education activities in our schools? Why could we not have sent a delegation of Saudi female athletes to an all-women’s athletic meet of Gulf Cooperation Council members being held in Kuwait, as other countries of the GCC have done? Saudi Arabia is a prominent member of the GCC, and for it to fail in its obligations toward its female athletes is not an encouraging sign. It is certainly not that our religion forbids such activities, and judging from the reactions of most of those around me, it is certainly not many of the people either. Than why do we continue to bar physical activities that encourage the promotion of health among our girls and women? Are we afraid of empowering women or allowing them control over their own bodies? Do we fear that by providing them such an opportunity, we are leading them to a path of deviancy and deprivation? Why do we men assume such nobility upon ourselves and yet deny those very rights to our womenfolk? Some would say our society does not allow such activities. “Balderdash” is my response. Our society, which some have perversely twisted to mean such a “special place” is no different from any other Muslim country. We are no better or worse than people elsewhere. And until we get that through our heads, that we are in no way different or special from others, we will continue to wallow in such deplorable customs that allow young girls to puff away their health, and yet be denied to sweat away their energies in a more productive fashion. If small groups of people insist on imposing their extreme views on school authorities, the Ministry of Education must resist such callous and irrational arguments and be bold enough to declare physical education as part of the syllabus in girls schools for the coming year. By providing such an outlet, perhaps some of these girls may be discouraged from letting their health go up in smoke.

tombstone001 says



Why are we afraid to let the girls play soccer?
It is rhetorical question indeed, in truth we are consumed by the filth in our own minds. We think of girls to be dirty minded like ourselves and as objects not of dignity and respect and even a little freedom that Islam calls for but as objects of nothing more than lust. We are afraid that not only all men, just like our own selves, desire our daughters mothers sisters and wives for sex, but that our daughters sisters mothers and wives will for sure run off to oblige if we gave them a chance. Also we think that if our women had any freedom or education the may find out how our men and the society think of them as no more than may be the family goats,(of course you can trade your daughter at least for a good looking camel), and may even take the liberties like eating from the rice tray before the man.

this will also be posted on my blog@
tombstone001.blogspot.com
along with your article