Euro Patent Box
  • Business & Finance
  • Business News
  • eCommerce
  • Education
  • General
  • Home
  • real estate school jacksonville fl
  • Mental Health Related
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us
  • Sitemap
  • Advertise Here
Select Page

‘We buried our sportswear’: Afghan women fear fight is over for martial arts | Afghanistan

by Amy B. Taylor | Mar 23, 2022 | Mental Health Related

On the morning of 15 August, when the Taliban were at the gates of Kabul, Soraya, a martial arts trainer in the Afghan capital, woke up with a sense of dread. “It was as though the sun had lost its colour,” she says. That day she taught what would be her last karate class at the gym she had started to teach women self-defence skills. “By 11am we had to say our goodbyes to our students. We didn’t know when we would see each other again,” she says.

Soraya is passionate about martial arts and its potential to transform women’s minds and bodies. “Sport has no gender; it is about good health. I haven’t read anywhere in Qur’an that prevents women from participating in sports to stay healthy,” she says.

Opening a sports club for women was an act of defiance in such a deeply patriarchal society. She and the women who worked out at her club faced intimidation and harassment. “Despite the progress of the last two decades, many families would prevent their girls from attending,” she says. The popularity of martial arts among Afghan women lay in its value as a method of self-defence. In a country suffering continual violence, particularly against women, many clubs offering different forms of martial arts training had opened in recent years.

Related Posts:

  • Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness Hindi Teaser Is Out! Promises Another Biggie From MCU

Like any other athlete, I pursued sport to raise my country’s flag with pride. But these dreams will never be realised

Yusra

By the evening of the 15, the Taliban were in control of the country and Soraya’s club was closed. The Taliban have since released edicts banning women from sports. Former athletes like Soraya are now shut indoors.

“Since the arrival of the Taliban, I receive messages from my students asking what they should do, where should they workout? Unfortunately, I don’t have anything convincing to tell them. This is so painful. We cry every day,” she says, adding that the restrictions have taken a toll on her students’ mental health.

Tahmina, 15, and her sisters played volleyball for the Afghan national team until this summer; they buried their sports clothes when the Taliban got closer to their home city of Herat. They escaped to Kabul in early August. “We did not think Kabul would fall, but we arrived here and it too fell,” says Tahmina.

The Taliban have already set limitations on women in work, including at government workplaces and educational institutes. Hamdullah Namony, the acting mayor of Kabul, said on Sunday that only women who could not be replaced by men would be allowed to keep working. The announcement comes after news that schools would reopen for boys only, effectively banning girls from education.

“We grew up with this dream that we can be useful for our society, be role models and bring honour. Unlike our mothers and grandmothers, we can’t accept the limiting laws and the death of our dreams,” says Tahmina.

A women’s martial arts group on Shahrak Haji Nabi hilltop near Kabul.
A women’s martial arts group on Shahrak Haji Nabi hilltop, near Kabul. Photograph: Wakil Kohsar/AFP/Getty

Maryam, an Afghan taekwondo fighter, has been practising behind closed doors since the Taliban takeover. She is used to it, she says, having kept her martial arts training a secret from her disapproving family for years. She has been training for eight years and has won several medals. “I would secretly go for practices and tell my family I am going for language classes. My family had no idea,” she says.

Yusra, 21, a female taekwondo referee and trainer, is disappointed. “Like any other athlete, I pursued the sport to raise my country’s tricolour flag with pride. But now these dreams will never be realised,” she says. Yusra used to provide training to help support her family, which has now lost a major source of income.

Neither of the women has plans to give up martial arts for too long. Maryam says her students have asked her to teach martial arts at home, and she is considering whether it is possible to do so discreetly. “I have already asked the Afghanistan Karate Federation to give me permission to operate a girl’s training programme at home, perhaps even in full hijab. However, they tell me that even men are not yet allowed to practise, so it is unlikely that women will be permitted,” she says.

“I am willing to do it secretly even if it means upsetting the Taliban, but I don’t want my students to fall victims to their wrath if caught,” she says.

Archives

  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • December 2016

Visit Now

Food Court

BL

TL

Intellifluence Trusted Blogger

Categories

  • Business & Finance
  • Business News
  • eCommerce
  • Education
  • General
  • Mental Health Related
  • Society
  • Sports

Recent Posts

  • Most Popular Online Electronics Stores Within The U S
  • Making A New Start In A Enterprise Of Their Own
  • Bing Microsoft Translator
  • Pagaya share price begins to lose ground
  • Buy Backlink Packages For WEBSITE POSITIONING

bayar.ooo

buy backlinks

Tags

Amazon Business Login Amazon Business Prime Att Business Login Bank Of America Business Account Best Business Schools Business Business Attorney Near Me Business Bank Account Business Card Holder Business Card Maker Business Cards Near Me Business Card Template Business Casual Attire Business Casual Shoes Business Casual Woman Business Plan Examples Ca Business Search Capital One Business Credit Card Ca Sos Business Search Chase Business Checking Chase Business Credit Cards Chase Business Customer Service Citizens Business Bank Cox Business Login Digital Business Card Facebook Business Suite Finance In Business Free Business Cards Harvard Business School Massage Parlor Business Near Me Michigan Business Entity Search Mind Your Business Mind Your Own Business Ohio Business Search Risky Business Costume Skype For Business Small Business Loan Small Business Saturday 2021 Starting A Business Triumph Business Capital Vending Machine Business Verizon Business Customer Service Vonage Business Login Wells Fargo Business Account Yahoo Small Business
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • RSS
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT