sports in privately funded schools. The decision was announced on Saturday in conjunction with a series of
slow incremental changes in a country run according to Shariah (Islamic) law.
This decision illustrates once again just how important sports can be to society at large as often “social experiments” are first tested in the sports world before coming to society at large.
During the last Olympic Games for instance two Saudi women were allowed to compete in the games while wearing modified athletic attire which still was consistent with Saudi laws concerning how women can
dress.
The Saudi Ministry of Education said that that this decision“…stems from the teachings of our religion, which allow women such activities in accordance with Shariah.” Schools must now provide opportunity for girls to play sports as long as there are female teachers to supervise them… girls and boys still cannot play together however.
King Abdullah is seen as the driving force behind these reforms as he has allowed women to train and work as doctors in recent years and for the first time starting in 2015 women will be allowed to run in municipal
elections... and last month for the first time a woman was licensed to practice law in the country.
We sometimes forget that reality for those in other countries is very different than it is for us.
Thoughts?