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| Lael Kassem, captain of the Auburn Tigers. Picture: Mitch Cameron Source: The Sunday Telegraph |
THEY are the Muslim women using sport to smash cultural stereotypes - just don't ask them who Adam Goodes is.
The Auburn Tigers are the first predominantly Muslim women's AFL team in the country, and although they admit to not knowing much about Aussie rules, that hasn't stopped them using the sport to build cultural awareness.
The team suffered a 130-0 loss to Macquarie University yesterday, but captain Lael Kassem said they want much more than to just put points on the scoreboard.
Ms Kassem, 21, from Auburn, said: "Sport can change everyone's lives and it has done that for so many of our girls.
"When we started the team we didn't think about winning.
"We just wanted to be the most respected team and the most culturally aware team."
Ms Kassem said many of the women had never watched a game of football live or even seen stars such as Sydney Swans player Goodes on TV.
The Muslim team members respect their religion by wearing the traditional head scarf and cover their limbs when they step out on the field.
"The majority of the girls in our team wear the Islamic veil and they can wear tracksuits if that makes them more comfortable," Ms Kassem said.
"We enforce that we are representing our religion so we go on to the field with the best manners and demonstrate Muslims are normal."
Source: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/muslim-women-kick-new-afl-goal/story-fndo317g-1226619890600
