Skateistan: Most Amazing School In Afghanistan

BY: SHIREEN AHMED

One of the most amazing schools in Afghanistan is a co-ed skateboarding school. 

If you have never heard of Skateistan - it is an organization (movement, really)  empowers youth and develops leadership qualities while teaching life skills. 40% of  their participants are girls.

It was recently named one of the world's top 100 NGO's.

Skateistan was established in 2007 by Oliver Percovich and is based in Kabul.

The land was donated by the Afghan National Olympic Committee and the skatepark and center facility was completed in 2009.

It offers, training and teaching for boys and girls from 5 years to 18 years of age and also provides schooling and extra academic support.

The staff is compromised by locals and a few international trainers. 

The facility is open 6 days a week.

It is an indoor facility to also provide older girls with the chance to continue skating in private.

Skateistan has been very positive and respectful in understanding specific needs of children. This awareness and dynamism has helped to foster a solid program with continued success.

 All tribes and ethinicities of children are welcome: Pashtun, Hazara, Uzbek and Tajik.

The participants are provided with skateboards and equipment. Skateistan does a lot of fundraising in order to support the athletes. 

Children are also provided with photography classes and there are programs for differently-abled kids and streetkids as well. 

The program relies on funding to and garners private donations to keep it working and moving towards self-sustainability.

It has volunteers in over 10 countries around the world for marketing, promotion and fundraising. 

This is an incredibly successful program that as inspired and empowered many children in Afghanistan- amid political instability, civil unrest and drone attacks.   

Efforts such as this, seek to include and expand the horizons of young Afghan boys and girls.

Any initiative that affords girls the same respect and opportunity as boys, should be lauded and fully supported.

"Using skateboarding as a hook for engaging Afghan youth and breaking down social barriers, Skateistan aims to empower girls and boys from all ethnicities, abilities and social classes. Furthermore, once they come to Skateistan there is also the opportunity in classroom lessons to provide education, skills and platforms for self-expression" - Skateistan

pics: via Skateistan.org

To read more about Skateistan, purchase "Skateistan: The Tale of Skateboarding in Afghanistan".

Olympics-Hijab no hurdle for Muslim sportswomen as bans eased

Here, Mohammad Abbas discusses advancements made in the world of sport which will now better enable more Muslim women, who want to cover their hair whilst participating in sports, to enter sport. The piece is generally quite interesting and is amongst a hand full of articles that I have come across that actually alludes to the stresses and strains of 'skimpy' sports attire as a 'problem' for other women (not just Muslim women as it too often portrayed). What I am disgruntled by, however, is the actual title which implies that the hijab was a hurdle. Of course this naturally leads me to respond: 'was Hijab' a hurdle for Muslim sportswomen, or was it a prevailing logic which persistently and categorically chose to view the Hijab as 'problematic' and 'out-of-place' in sport the real hurdle? I recall having conversations with many of my sports students about the idea of a sport hijab and I also recall with dismay their reluctance to allow it to be worn (for a number of reasons, the most commonly cited one of course being that of health and safety and of uniform regulations). Yet when I cited that the same uniform policies have allowed players to wear caps, and turbans - even glasses on a few occasions - then, they really do begin to ponder, but still press ahead with the view that 'religion should have no place in sport'. I do not veil and am a Muslim woman, but can empathise with those women who want to wear it and have in my work, allowed them to express their identities and their religion through the use of bandanna's and colourful scarves. Yet, I am amazed at how it is that a sporting word - as advanced as it now is - could not view the idea of a sports hijab as a new and creative invention. And Muslim women were re-designing and wearing such attire long before an official regulator rubber-stamped it as 'safe'. Why are we not celebrating or commending their creativity and intuitiveness? Why have we not reported these women as being central to the revolutions that are taking place in the world of sport, and only see the rubber-stamping as progress?

Aug 1 (Reuters) - Headscarf-wearing Muslim women are making strides at the Olympic Games, a year after the Iranian women's soccer team broke down in tears at having to withdraw from a qualifying match because they wore hijabs.

Worn under a fencing mask, wrapped tightly in an elasticated bun for weightlifting or styled into a cap for shooting, the controversial headgear is finally winning acceptance from sporting associations.

This week judo sports authorities and the Saudi Olympic Committee confirmed they had reached an agreement allowing a Saudi judoka to compete with her hair covered, and last month soccer's rule makers also lifted their ban on the hijab.

The International Judo Federation had initially said Wojdan Ali Seraj Abdulrahim Shaherkani could not compete in a headscarf, which would have been a huge blow to aspiring Saudi sportswomen: she and runner Sarah Attar are the country's first women to compete at any Olympics.

"This agreement shows that being a modest Muslim woman is no barrier to taking part in sport. It shows the inclusiveness of the Olympic spirit," said Razan Baker, spokeswoman for the Saudi Olympic Committee.

Islamic states Brunei and Qatar have also sent female athletes to the Games for the first time.

The modest forms of dress demanded by more conservative societies or chosen by more pious women have long been a brake on female participation in sport, not only for Muslims but also for women of other faiths.

"Many Muslim women both in Britain and around the world are excluded or discouraged from taking up sports owing to their desire to maintain stricter standards of modesty than sports clothes allow," said Emma Tarlo of the department of anthropology at Goldsmiths, University of London.

"And Muslims are not alone. A number of women from Hindu, Sikh, and orthodox Jewish backgrounds as well as people with weight issues are put off swimming by the skimpiness of most existing styles of swimwear," she added.

ISLAMIC SPORTSWEAR

Luckily, a number of designers are turning their attention to women keen to take part in sport while wearing modest attire.

In the Netherlands, designer Cindy van den Bremen has designed a range of headwear for sporty Muslim women dubbed "capsters".

"The concept is based on the idea to give Muslim girls and their gym teachers in the Netherlands a safe alternative for the traditional hijab to wear during gym class," Bremen says on her website.

Online vendor thehijabshop.com carries capsters under its "sporting range" under the categories "skate", "aerobics", "outdoor" and "tennis", and touts the headgear as designed not to shift or tear during physical activity.

British-based Modestly Active's line of Islamic sports gear includes swimwear and martial arts, basketball and soccer kits, which the company says have been specially designed with the latest sports technology to be breathable and durable.

Ismail Sacranie said he and his wife founded the company in 2007 after designing special clothing for their sports-mad daughters. Since then the response had been "phenomenal", with orders from all over the world.

"We saw the restrictions that were faced by our own children. I have three daughters of my own, they're just like any other teenagers, and why should a piece of fabric restrict them?" he said.

"My daughters were outraged and annoyed beyond comprehension at the fact that simply because somebody's covering their hair they're alienated," he added.

Now one of his daughters, inspired by the British Olympic female soccer team's wins over New Zealand and Brazil, is determined to join the national soccer team herself, where she will be able to wear her headscarf.

"It's a huge statement for mankind to overcome these kind of barriers, and let the enthusiasm and professionalism of a person speak, rather than what they're wearing," Sacranie said. (Editing by Mark Trevelyan)

http://www.reuters.com/subjects/olympics-2012 

Is commending Muslim women sport leaders (few as they are!) really a HURDLE to Muslim women's rights?????

Ida Lichter, M.D. (Author of 'Muslim Women Reformers: Inspiring Voices Against Oppression') talks about Muslim women in sport, and whilst she is 'on the ball' with most things concerning the difficulties pertaining to Muslim women's entry into sports, I cannot say I agree entirely with the view that allowing headscares to be worn and commending Muslim women sports leaders (as few as they are) as a 'hurdle to Muslim women's rights'. The subject of Muslim women and sport has gained so much momentum since I first began researching it 10 years ago, and I am saddened to read views supporting the universality of a sporting system that continues to privilege but one way of thinking. In a similar vein, I am deeply saddened to read about the gross violations to women's rights in Saudi Arabia (time and time again!) and the forced veiling of women in Iran, but I refuse to allow myself to submit to a will that views banning the headscarf as a solution to all this insanity in the world. This is all food for thought for now and I am glad to have stumbled across this.

Hurdles to Muslim Women's Rights

Posted: 07/12/2012 10:14 am

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An injured horse last month disqualified equestrian Dalma Malhas from representing Saudi Arabia at the London Olympics. She would have been the first female athlete from the kingdom.

Brunei and Qatar have entered several women for the first time, and although most Muslim countries send female athletes to various events, few boast outstanding women contestants. Why are they lagging so far behind the rest of the world and does the Arab Spring herald any change?

In May, the Muslim Women's Sport Foundation in London honoured a number of athletes, including Halet Ambel, the first Muslim woman Olympic competitor, who represented Turkey in 1936; African American Ibtihaj Muhammad, who will fence for the U.S. this year wearing the hijab; and Sadaf Rahimi, a 17-year-old boxer from Afghanistan. The Kabul stadium where Rahimi trained for the London Olympics was a former Taliban site for women's executions.

Other outstanding sportswomen include Pakistani Naseem Hameed, who won a gold medal in the 100m track event at the South Asian Games in 2010, and Moroccan hurdler Nawal El Moutawakel, who won gold at the 1984 Olympics and later became minister of sports.

Since 1993, the Islamic Federation of Women's Sport has held female-only, multi-sport, Women's Islamic Games every four years, adhering to Islamic dress code and hosted by Iran. In ancient Greece, women also held their own games every four years, as women were excluded from the Olympics.

International perspectives on Muslim women's sport are invariably influenced by Islamist states such as Saudi Arabia and Iran and their economic clout.

Religious opinions vary, and in Saudi Arabia they range from an obligation to keep fit and healthy to accusations of immorality, destruction of virginity and subversive Western corruption.

Reformer Halima al-Muzaffar has noted the large number of Saudi women who suffer from obesity or osteoporosis. Exercise would be beneficial, but the government closed many ladies' gyms in 2009 and 2010, claiming they were unlicensed. New applications were refused.

The few private women's soccer teams compete clandestinely, and women are barred from sporting events in stadiums.

To be fair, King Abdullah has embarked on reform, reducing the power of the mutaween or religious police and promising voting rights for women in the 2015 municipal elections.

As in the case of lifting the driving ban, granting women freedom to pursue sports could unravel the sexual segregation, full body cover and male guardianship of women demanded by the religious autocracy that legitimises the monarch's rule. Women might leave the house without their husband's permission or spend time in mixed company.

Dress codes have proved contentious in soccer. The International Federation of Association Football banned the hijab in 2007 because of the danger of choking and this led to the exclusion of the Iranian women's soccer team from the London Olympics. The ban was reversed after introduction of a Velcro fastener and was recently ratified.

Anita Defrantz, U.S. member of the International Olympic Committee, has denied claims of discrimination against women who wear the hijab, but in order to remain true to its values, the IOC should observe religious neutrality in athletic dress code. They could also suspend Saudi Arabia and Iran for discrimination, sanctions they applied against South Africa between 1964 and 1992, and Afghanistan under the Taliban at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

The Arab Spring has borne bitter fruit, as the ascendant Muslim Brotherhood advance an Islamist agenda that may spell oppression for women. Suzanne Mubarak, wife of Egypt's ousted president, organised the Womathon for Peace event to promote women's health and cultural diversity through sport, but her initiative is probably buried in the dustbin of odious association.

Muslim sportswomen already have a forum for piety at their own Games, and international sporting organisations should, at least, resist bending their own rules to accommodate Islamist countries that legislate against women's rights. The real hurdles are entrenched, archaic traditions authorised by religion and legislated in state politics.

A version of this article was originally published in The Australian.

Aghan Women's Boxing Team Denied Entry To UK For Women's Day Tournament

In a tournament leading up to International Women's Day, Afghan boxing team comprised of Sadaf Rahem, Fahima Mohammad, and Shabnam Rahman were denied entry to UK. Women in Sport (recognized Women in Sport advocacy and empowerment group in UK) who were supporting and funding their visit were extremely disappointed.

“I am extremely disappointed. We are made to believe that avenues, especially here in the UK, are opening up to people such as Sadaf Rahem, Fahima Mohammad and Shabnam Rahman, who are trying to pursue their sporting dreams. There has been much talk of the legacy of the Olympics and rights for women in sport, but today, it is not the case for these women.” -Margaret Pope, Women in Sport

Even more disappointing after "Boxing Girls of Kabul" documentary film featuring these women and their fight and plight for athletics in Afghanistan, recently won an award at Canadian Screen Awards- further  highlighting their passion.

How excellent are UK authorities in their precautions! 

FULL STORY: http://www.asafeworldforwomen.org/womens-rights/wr-central-and-south-asia/wr-afghanistan/3782-kabul-girls-boxing.html

Québec Soccer Federation Finally Allowing Hijab on Pitch

Finally, the Québec Soccer Federation has agreed to allow hijab on the soccer pitch. The ruling commission of International Football IFAB (International Football Association Board) had already agreed to reconsider the 2007 ban in July 2012. They further confirmed in November 2012 that they approved a prototype by Resport On by designer Ilham Sayyed from Montreal.

This is an important development for soccer in Canada and for Women and girls in Sport.

It cuts to the root of exclusion and discrimination on the pitch in .

Unlike Ontario, British Columbia, Nova Scotia and most other Canadian provinces with solid soccer traditions, Québec was one of the only provinces that waited for so long and for preliminary IFAB approval to allow players to wear headscarves.

Initially, the issue of hijab youth soccer was thrust into media attention when Azmahan Mansour of Ottawa was visiting Québec for a football tournament and was told to take off her hijab for safety reasons.

Mansour had never had issues playing with hijab in her home province of Ontario.

Her coach withdrew from the tournament in protest, as did four other teams.

Conversely, a spokesperson from Canadian Soccer Association (CSA) stated that "there is no official rule barring girls from wearing hijab". But each province has their own regulating body and is not required to defer to CSA.

(Asmahan Mansour 2007)

What ensued was FIFA declaring that the final say would be up to the officials as there was no specific law banning hijab specifically. QSF embraced this and advised Referees accordingly. Most of whom would not let players play in headgear.
In football, a referee's decision is final. It can not be appealed if it is made in clear judgement and the referee has strong precedent  to make the call.
In Mansour's case, the referee who barred her was Muslim (non hijab-wearing) causing more confusion for those trying to grasp the situation.
Following the heartbreak of the Iranian Women's team who were disqualified from qualifying matches for London 2012 Olympics as for playing wih hijab, In early 2012, Prince Ali Bin Hussein the FIFA vice-President representing Asia, presented a prototype hijab that would satisfy medical requirements of IFAB in order to allow women and girls in hijab to play safely.
This initiative was also supported by the Association of Professional Football Players (FIFPro). Read their statement: http://www.fifpro.org/news/news_details/1857
IFAB agreed to lift the ban and more consideration of the hijab pending approval by a medical team. A welcome and incredible event in the lives of so many women and girls footballers.
And the rest was history.
Except in Québec.
The French in  have been accused of xenophobia with regards to their policies and "values". Including allowing any type of religious headgear on the pitch, including sikh turbans as well as another highly ill-timed case of ejecting a 9 year-old player with  hijab just days after IFAB's initial decision to consider a Resport-On design.
Sadly the issue of  said “values” not only translated to exclusion for players but for referees as well. In 2011, a qualified referee was told she could not officiate because of her hijab in Québec.
A member of Parti Québecois (at the time the ruling party in Québec) publicly stated: "Religious freedom exists, but there are other values. For instance, multiculturalism is not a Québec value. It may be a Canadian one, but it is not a Québec one."
Similarly, across the Atlantic ocean, France seems to agree with it's descendants in Canada. Although IFAB lifted the hijab ban, the French Football Federation (FFF) also declared they would be upholding the hijab-ban for their players "in the name of universal and republican values".
That QSF has now relented and will allow girls and women in headscarves to participate is a huge victory considering the immense and heated debate over "reasonable accommodation" in the province.
Now that there is a solution to include women and girls into competitive and recreational levels of play in Québec, which has always carried a strong development program for children and youth, the result is inevitable: "More children will play".
That is a win for the players, clubs, officials and the beautiful game.  

originally published: http://footybedsheets.tumblr.com/post/45031122668/quebec-soccer-federation-finally-allowing-hijab-on

Hijab decision for Muslim women soccer players

Fri, Mar 8: A controversy that was keeping Muslim women off of Quebec soccer pitches has been solved, and a Montreal woman played a key role in the solution. As Billy Sheilds reports she thought outside the box to help lift the Quebec Soccer federation's ban on hijabs on the field.

Source: http://www.globalnews.ca/video/hijab+decision+for+muslim+women+soccer+players/video.html?v=2341618236#sports

Surfing Sisters in Gaza Hit Waves of Disapproval

BY: EMAN MOHAMMED

Sisters Sabah and Shrouq Abu Gunaim surfing in the Gaza Strip

Two Palestinian sisters, Sabah and Shrouq Abu Gunaim, are struggling to hang on to their identities as active surfers despite cultural opposition to body-baring sports for girls and women.

When they were little girls they could surf with relative freedom. But now that they are teens, it's different.

"My family encourages me, although the community thinks it's shameful to do so," says Sabah, age 14, as her mother braids her long ponytail.

For her older sister Shrouq, 17, the pressure is now particularly intense.

The Abu Gunaim family lives in a modest, thatched-roof house just across the street from the beach, in the windswept spot of Sheikh Ejleen.

For a while Sabah, as a younger girl, surfed openly on the beach. But now she avoids broad daylight. "Once I got older and became more of a woman, as they say, I had to surf when no one is looking, in the early morning and sometimes late at night," she says.

Both sisters are careful not to go out alone anymore.

"I always surf with my father and brothers around now," says Sabah. "I enjoy it; but not as much. But do I have any other choice?"

If their father is nearby, men on the beach are less likely to harass and scold them for flouting constraints on girls' sports. But sometimes even if their father is there, a male passerby will threaten and harass him to get his daughters out of the water.

Still, Sabah remains committed to the sport. "The community might say it is 'aib,' a disgrace, for a girl to surf, but it doesn't feel this way. I want to go to the Olympics with Shrouq and prove them wrong."

Hurting Marriage Prospects

Their mother, a 35-year-old full-time homemaker who asked not to be named, worries that surfing could hurt her daughters' chances at marriage.

"My daughters can't draw attention to themselves anymore," she says. "It will hurt them and ruin their small dreams. I only hope they don't get hurt; it's what they love to do and that's all I care about."

The sisters' surf boards--one black and white and one blue--have been featured in a number of stories in the foreign press in recent years. But here at home the attention is beginning to work against them in a community where young women are expected to stay largely inside and wear modest attire.

Whether they will be knocked off balance by waves of public disapproval is a question as they are getting older.

The girls' father, Rajab Abu Gunaim, helped pioneer the sport in the Gaza Strip and passed on his passion to his two daughters, the oldest of six children. Sabah and Shrouq in turn taught their younger brothers.

"I consider myself a self-taught surfer, a lucky one," says Rajab Abu Gunaim "What I have learnt represents my heritage, one that I'm working on passing on to my children, both boys and girls."

When the novelty of two surfing sisters in the Gaza Strip began to attract the media, their father worried the exposure might bring negative attention. At the same time, however, he thought it could also work to foster their talent and help the local community adjust to the idea of female surfing.

The sisters are breaking no laws in surfing, but girls and women are by custom expected to be accompanied by a male in public, to dress in modest attire and to exercise and participate in sports indoors. Outdoor sports, with body-revealing attire, are borderline taboo.

TV-Taught Skills

Rajab Abu Gunaim works as a full-time life guard during the summer and as a fisherman throughout the year. Much of his surfing skills, he says, came from watching the sport on TV. He learned how to swim at age 8 and at 17 began training others to surf.

Now about a dozen male surfers--ranging from 14 to 35 in age--are a common feature on the beach, all of them trained by him.

His daughters ride on boards donated by a cross-border cooperation organization, Surfing 4 Peace, which encourages surfers in Gaza and Israel.

Gazans' use of the sea was limited to three nautical miles after the 2008-2009 war imposed a blockade that has made fishing and sailing nearly impossible. Israel says the blockade is necessary to stop the infiltration of militants into Israel and arms importation to Gaza.

Rajab Abu Gunaim, who says he has come under fire many times while fishing, condemns the blockade as a form of "collective punishment" that has hurt his livelihood and blocked the import of surf boards to the Gaza Strip.

"No surf boards are allowed to come in and of course none of us are allowed to get to the boarders to bring them in. It is hopeless. Although surfing is a joyful and challenging sport all over the world, apparently in Gaza it threatens Israeli security," he fumed.

Sabah recounts the astonishment of her classmates the first time they saw her surf. "I once came back from school with some of my classmates and they saw my board. I tried to explain to them about surfing and my dad took us all on his boat into the sea. I dived into the water and when I looked back, they were all astonished."

Eman Mohammed is a 25-year-old Palestinian photojournalist and reporter based in the Gaza Strip.

source: http://womensenews.org/story/athleticssports/130221/surfing-sisters-in-gaza-hit-waves-disapproval#.UTTqoTDvvwD

Squash Star Takes on the Taliban: 'Chosen one' fights for a cause

BY:JAMES MONTAGUE

Pakistani squash champion Maria Toor Pakay has been threatened by the Taliban for playing the sport she loves.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Maria Toor Pakay is Pakistan's No. 1 squash player despite difficult circumstances
• Pakay fled her native Waziristan after threats from the Taliban, moving to Canada
• Her father was warned that she was in danger for embarrassing the region's culture and religion
• Former squash star Jonathan Power is training her to become a world champion

Editor's note: "Real Sports: Pakistan's Maria Toor Pakay," reported by HBO's Mary Carillo, premieres at 2200 ET (0300 GMT) on February 19 on HBO.

(CNN) -- Chingaiz Khan was an unknown quantity when he arrived for a junior weightlifting tournament in South Waziristan nine years ago.

Chaotic and intensely religious, the Pakistani region is known by locals as "the most dangerous place in the world."

The 12-year-old Chingaiz, with his short, jet-black hair and smooth, unblemished skin, looked younger than the other boys. But, despite it being his first ever tournament, he was still stronger than everyone else.

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For his father Shams-Ul Wazir, a local college lecturer, the decision to register his son for the tournament paid off handsomely.

Chingaiz was crowned the junior boys' weightlifting champion, the first step on a journey that would take him into the world of professional sport.

Except Chingaiz wasn't really his name.

Chingaiz was actually called Maria Toor Pakay.

Chingaiz was a girl.

"I suggested the name of Chingaiz Khan for her since she had always been like a boy," explained Al Wazir in an 

interview with HBO. "She liked the name very much."

Girls and boys

This isn't a story of deception, but rather a tale of necessity.

Maria Toor Pakay is Pakistan's number one squash player, ranked 49th in the world. She also comes from an ultra conservative region in Pakistan that is home to the Taliban.

Female participation in any form of public life is strongly discouraged, by both words and deeds. Education, working, sports; anything involving women leaving the house unaccompanied by a male relative was seen as the work of the devil.

Teen athlete fled Taliban stronghold to pursue dream

But Pakay had talent. Her weightlifting triumph gave her access to a world of sporting options that would otherwise have been out of bounds to her as a female, and she discovered the discipline where she would make her name.

Squash is one of Pakistan's most popular games and Pakay excelled at it. By the age of 21 she had gone pro and broken into the world top 50, an incredible rise up the world rankings. She is one of only three Pakistani women in the top 200; by contrast the nation has 15 men in the same strata.

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Yet her success has come at a price. Pakay and her father have been threatened with retribution by the local Taliban for insulting their culture and their religion.

"My area, my tribal regions are called the hub of terrorism and extremism," said Pakay.

"It's the home to the Taliban, and it's called the most dangerous place in the world. But I have a big vision for my country, and for my people it will be stopped. I always thought that maybe I'm the chosen one."

Standing up

Pakay realized at a young age that she was different to other people she saw in her community.

"When I was four and a half, I told my parents that I want clothes like my brother," she said.

"I want to play with boys, there's more freedom, I felt. And I am not like girls who play with dolls. I want the toy guns and things like that."

Such behavior was anathema to the deeply conservative community she was born into. But her father agreed. Rather than forcing his daughter to conform, he thought about how best to realize his daughter's talent. It was he who came up with the plan to cut his daughter's hair and enter into competitions with the boys.

Read: Squash gladiator on 'physical chess'

"They (religious elders) sent me to a mental asylum 'cause they thought that I had deviated from the culture, and that I was crazy supporting women's rights," he recalled.

"They said I was spoiling the whole environment and that all women would want the same rights."

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With the boys' junior weightlifting title under her belt, Pakay decided to enter a boys' squash tournament. Her disguise was scuppered by bureaucracy.

"My dad said, 'This ... that's my son,' " Pakay recalled of the moment her father presented her to be registered. But the official dropped a bombshell. "He said, 'OK, we need the birth certificate, too.' "

Threat

Shams-Ul Wazir decided to come clean, and entered her in the girls' competitions. She destroyed the opposition and, at the age of 15, was national champion. It was then that the trouble started.

"I found a letter on the windshield of my car. It was signed by the name of 'Taliban,' " her father said.

"They told me -- they threatened me -- 'Stop your girl from playing squash because it is bringing a bad name to our culture and to Islam.' They told me, 'If you do not do this then you will have to suffer very bad consequences.'

"I ignored that threat ... (but) we were very much concerned that she might get shot or she might get kidnapped."

The warning terrified Pakay. Scared for the safety of her family, she decided not play in public.

"I told my dad that I might need a gun. I don't know what to do," she said. "He said, 'It's your decision. I never stopped you from anything. You wanna play or not?'

"Squash is everything for me. And I know that when a girl is kidnapped, it's the biggest dishonor. I'm not gonna bring dishonor for them, ever."

When I was like four and half, I told my parents that I want clothes like my brother
Maria Toor Pakay

So Pakay played in the house, lonely and miserable. From dusk until dawn she hit the ball against the wall with her "Jonathan Power" racket. Her father knew that if he wanted his daughter to realize her potential, she had to leave Pakistan.

"He said, 'Okay, if you wanna play, just leave the country. That's all you can do.' "

The Power of persistence

Pakay agreed. For three long years she would write to everyone. Clubs, players, educational institutions. Nothing. But then, when she was 18 years old, she received her only reply. She recognized the name. It was the same name that graced her first racket: that of former world champion Jonathan Power.

"I couldn't believe that there was a woman squash player from Waziristan, let alone, one that could actually play," said Power of the day he received Pakay's email.

Power retired at the top of his game, as number one in the world. He never left squash. Instead he set up a national academy in his home town of Toronto, looking to find talent in people from places squash rarely reaches. Pakay's letter melted him. It read:

Dear sir,

We were concerned that she might get shot or kidnapped
Shams-Ul Wazir

I'm Maria Toor Pakay Wazir. I belong to South Waziristan agency of Pakistan's tribal areas on the Pak-Afghan border. South Waziristan one of Pakistan's most turbulent tribal agencies and the home to Taliban is also my home. Here girls of my age are passing their lives in such miserable conditions.

They are restricted to four walls despite having the desire to come out of the Stone Age and get assimilated with the rest of the world.

I will be waiting for your positive response.

Regard,

Maria Toor Pakay Wazir, professional squash player.

Power was moved to reply, and soon Pakay was on a flight to Canada.

"It's unbelievable," he said.

"She left on just hope, on a one-way ticket and 200 bucks on an email promise from me."

World champion

The aim for Pakay is to be world champion. She works from morning to night with Power, moving up the rankings as she gets close to realizing her dream.

She left on just hope, on a one-way ticket and 200 bucks on an email promise
Jonathan Power

Being away from her family is tough. She talks to them every day on the internet. She scours the news sites looking for information on suicide bombings and killings, praying they are nowhere near her home. So far, they haven't been.

"The timeline is 'till she's world champion and she goes home with a trophy," Power asserted confidently. "There is no substitute."

Yet in a region where some revile a woman's sporting success, a world championship has extra problems. More publicity, greater exposure, increased danger. That doesn't matter to Pakay. Success could open up opportunities for others like her, playing squash or lifting weights or kicking a soccer ball in their bedrooms as they wait for the world outside to change.

"Someone wants to kill me? Kill me once I bring the change and I become a world champion," she said.

"But not before."

source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/02/18/sport/squash-pakistan-maria-toor-pakay/