Arab Hopes for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics

I joined KABOBfest during the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics (and my first post was on Arab women participating), so it would seem only appropriate for me to talk a little about Arab hope for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.

That hope rests on one man.

Games Over

The Olympics are over, and while many look back fondly on the accomplishments of their countrymen/women, others aren’t so happy. Perhaps the saltiest of all is the Egyptian head honcho – Hosni Mubarak ordered the formation of a fact-finding committee to investigate why Egypt didn’t do better in Beijing! Egypt sent 177 athletes to the [...]

“I doubt more than 1 in 100 Muslim women wear hijab here. It’s probably close to the opposite in their home countries…

So if it is really all about choice, why do the same women make different choices, depending on where they live?-A frequent KABOBfest message board commentator commenting on a conversation sparked by I post I wrote concerning the Bahraini 200 meter olympic competitor (Ruqaya Al-Ghasara), who was fully covered from head to toe for her races. [...]

Nader Almassri is Swifter, Higher, Stronger

The following is a guest posting by Sim Sim, a devoted KABOBfest reader and Palestinian marathon runner. Enjoy!Palestinian Nader Almassri, a resident of Beit Hanoun Gaza competed in the Olympic Games this morning. Nader, who finished last in his qualifying heat (38/39 runners overall) won’t garner the headlines of a Michael Phelps but his performance [...]

Bahraini Beauty, Roqaya Al-Gassra…

WINS HER HEAT in full Hijab!!!! I know it’s just a meaningless preliminary victory, but not only will that moment have a strong effect on Bahraini, Arab, and Muslim men and women alike, but will and has served to open up a dialogic space in that region and here as well. I’ll tell you why [...]