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Women's wrestling in Bangladesh faces Islamist threat
Dhaka | July 02, 2004 8:44:45 PM IST
Islamist zealots in Bangladesh have threatened to resist the first ever women's wrestling competition in the country, scheduled for July 4.
Sports authorities here are determined to hold the competition although they received the threat only a couple of days ahead of the event, National Sports Council officials said on Friday.
Bangladesh took the initiative as some international bodies are trying to accelerate women sports in the country. Some 100 women from 11 districts are selected to compete in eight weight categories, according to Bangladesh Wrestling Federation.
Bangladesh Wrestling Federation has shifted the competition venue from National Sports Council gymnasium to a relatively secured Women Sport Complex following the Islamists' threat.
Jamiatul Ulama Islami Bangladesh, an Islamic group, recently announced Jihad against the competition. Other Islamist parties - Islamic Constitution Movement, Nezam-e-Islam Party Bangladesh and Islamic Party-have extended support it and vowed to prevent the competition.
Mohiuddin Khan, a leader of Jamiatul Ulama, said if the government did not take any step to stop the women's wrestling competition, they would not leave it alone.
In statements, the organisations demanded an immediate embargo on the competition, which, is according to them, hurt the religious feelings of millions of Muslims. "We are even ready to sacrifice life, if necessary, to protect any kind of indecent sports to be held in the country," reads one of the statements.
State Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs Fazlur Rahman, however, is unaware of any threat. He said if any organisation threatens to stop the sport, then it would be highly unfair.
"We have some obligations to the international bodies like FIFA, IOC, to accelerate the women's event. Hence, different federations have taken different initiatives," he said.
Islamic radicals, in recent days, have risen significantly in many parts of the country.(ANI)
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Protestors rail against Muslim Bangladesh's first women's wrestling contest
Fri Jul 2,10:57 AM ET
DHAKA (AFP) - Demonstrators marched through the streets in protest at plans for Muslim Bangladesh's first women's wrestling competition.
About 100 demonstrators belonging to the Islamic group Jamiatul Ulama Islami Bangladesh demonstrated in the capital Dhaka waving black and white flags and shouting "say no to women's wrestling".
Organisers have vowed that the event will go ahead as scheduled Sunday in Dhaka despite threats.
"We are even ready to sacrifice life, if necessary, to protest any kind of indecent sports to be held in the country," the New Age daily quoted Mohiuddin Khan, executive president of Jamiatul Ulama Islami Bangladesh, as saying.
An earlier statement by the group demanded that the competition be cancelled out of respect for the religious feelings of the country's more than 100 million Muslims, the report said.
Tabiur Rahman, general secretary of the Bangladeshi Amateur Wrestling Federation which has organised the competition, assured critics that the competition would not be "indecorous" and participants would be fully covered instead of wearing just shorts.
"I have heard some Islamic groups want to stop the competition, (a) few even threatened us over the telephone if we hold the competition," New Age quoted Rahman as saying.
"Women in our country are regularly participating in many other sports; why should wrestling be an exception?" he added.
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Islamic parties wage war on women’s wrestling - Sports authorities caught in contrasting pulls
Friday July 02 2004 10:25:13 AM BDT
AZAD MAJUMDER
While some international bodies are trying to accelerate women sports, local authorities are facing severe opposition from a section of religious extremists.
The situation has recently worsened when an Islamic group, Jamiatul Ulama Islami Bangladesh, threatened to prevent a women wrestling competition, first of its kind in Bangladesh, scheduled to be held on July 4.
In the face of obstruction from the so-called Jamiat quarter, the Bangladesh Wrestling Federation has shifted the competition to the Women Sports Complex, located at Dhanmondi, from the National Sports Council gymnasium.
However, it did not prevent the Islamic group to waive their objection as they have plans to agitate against the women wrestling event on Friday after the jum’a prayers, along with some other like-minded pro-Islamic political organisations such as the Islamic Constitution Movement, Nezam-e-Islami Bangladesh and the Islamic Party.
Mohiuddin Khan, executive president of Jamiatul Ulama, declared a jihad against the competition and said if the government did not take any step to stop the women’s wrestling competition, they would not leave it alone, even though the event had been shifted from the NSC building to Dhanmondi.
“We are even ready to sacrifice life, if necessary, to protest any kind of indecent sports to be held in the country,” Mohiuddin told New Age at his office in Purana Paltan on Thursday.
Earlier in a statement, the organisation demanded an immediate embargo on the competition, which, is according to them, hurt the religious feelings of millions of Muslims.
The wrestling federation, however, is firm in its decision to hold the daylong competition, where around 100 women from 11 districts are slated to compete in eight weight categories.
“We have pressures from FILA, the world body for wrestling, to introduce women’s version of the competition in line with many other countries,” said Tabiur Rahman, general secretary of the federation.
He, however, said there would be nothing indecent in the event as they have appropriate dress code for the competitors.
“I have heard some Islamic groups want to stop the competition. Few even threatened us with life over telephone if we hold the competition. We have already informed the matter to the police commissioner of Dhaka to provide us adequate security.
“I would like to invite them to see and find whether there is anything indecorous in our competition. Women in our country are regularly participating in many other sports and why the wrestling would e an exception. One thing I can assure everybody, our girls will not wear shorts.”
State Minister for Youth and Sports Fazlur Rahman said he had no idea about the conflict but believes that if any organisation threaten to thwart a sports event, it would be very unfair.
“We have some obligations to the international bodies like FIFA, IOC, to accelerate the women’s event. Hence, different federations have taken different initiatives.”
People in the sports fraternity have said the interference of the Islamic group in their activities was nothing new.
A 21-member Indian women’s football team had visited the country in January 2003 and had been scheduled to play three matches in Dhaka, Jessore and Netrakona.
The first two matches were held amid severe intimidation but the last one had to be cancelled after the local authorities refused to provide any security. In Jessore, the visiting side also faced strong agitation.
Despite the opposition fro the Islamic groups, the Bangladesh Football Federation, had to start two training camp for women footballers in the Women Sports Complex and Gazipur Ansar Academy after receiving a prescription from the Asian Football Confederation. Ninety women, most of them coming from the indigenous groups, have been training in the camps.
The AFC, which initiated a Vision Asia project in eight Asian countries, including Bangladesh, have included women’s football as one of its 11 elements.
Having found no other way, the football federation has decided to introduce women’s football within a short span of time.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board is also contemplating introduction of competitive cricket for women as it has recently been prescribed by the Asian Cricket Council.
The ACC recently signed a memorandum of understanding with UNICEF, which launched a campaign with the slogan ‘Fair Play for Girls’.
During last year’s World Cup Football, held in the United States in September, UNICEF and FIFA entered into a partnership and selected 12 countries to provide sport-in-a-box kit.
The recipient countries are: Bhutan, Bolivia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, Guinea, India, Nigeria, Zambia, Sudan, Georgia and Bangladesh.
UNICEF selected the Bangladesh Women Sports Federation to receive these kits and total of 65 kits have been received by them.
These kits are now in the federation’s hands and will be used to promote girls’ education through football and facilitate increased participation, confidence, cooperation and teamwork among girls in the country, said UNICEF sources.
The sport-in-a-kit box contains professional and junior footballs, inflating kits, whistle, flags, jerseys and some promotional material.
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Islamists protest women's wrestling
Staff Correspondent 6/3/04
Demonstrators with ties to Islamic organisations yesterday rallied to protest a plan for Bangladesh's first women's wrestling competition, scheduled for tomorrow.
Bangladesh Amateur Wrestling Federation took the initiative as some international bodies are trying to accelerate women's sports here. Some 100 women from 11 districts are selected to compete in eight weight categories.
Leaders of the Islamic Constitution Movement (ICM) called on the government not to allow the competition and warned that the government have to bear the responsibilities for serious consequences.
The competition venue was shifted from the National Sports Council gymnasium to the Women Sports Complex after the Islamists' threat to resist the event that they called indecorous.
"Islam never allows such competition which is an indecent act," an ICM leader told a meeting at the Baitul Mukarram Mosque where the Islamist leaders also demanded withdrawal of what they said was an offensive statement by US Ambassador to Bangladesh Harry K Thomas.
The group protested the remark that "the country's Islamic fundamentalists were behind the recent series of bomb attacks".
The ICM called on the government to remove the US envoy from Bangladesh if he did not withdraw his remark.
"The US ambassador has no right to talk about internal affairs of Bangladesh," another ICM leader said.
ICM President ATM Hemait Uddin said the ambassador's remark was intended to tarnish the country's image abroad, adding: "The comment is considered a threat to the country's sovereignty."
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Islamic groups protest women's wrestling in Bangladesh
Dhaka, July 3. (AP):
Muslim fundamentalists vowed to block Bangladesh's first-ever women's wrestling competition, scheduled for tomorrow, calling it anti-Islamic.
"Games such as wrestling are vulgar and indecent for Muslim women," Maulana Mohiuddin Khan, head of the Jamiatul Ulama Islami Bangladesh group, told The Associated Press today.
Khan said Bangladeshi Muslims "shall not allow our women to take part in such vulgarity".
The state-run Bangladesh Wrestling Federation said the competition will go ahead despite planned demonstrations by three Islamic fundamentalist groups.
"We have ensured that the competitors will be decently dressed, and we don't see any reason to call it anti-Islamic," said Tabiur Rahman, General Secretary of the Federation.
Yesterday, dozens of the hardline Islamic protesters marched through central Dhaka urging authorities to call off the competition, which is expected to draw dozens of women wrestlers from across Bangladesh.
Rahman said the Federation has asked for extra security during the event.
Bangladeshi women regularly take part in sports events such as volleyball, swimming, hockey and athletic competitions.
Bangladesh, a predominantly Islamic nation of 140 million people, is governed by secular laws.
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Bangladesh calls off women's wrestling event
By Farid Ahmed, Indo-Asian News Service 6/4/04
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Demonstrators Friday marched through the streets of Dhaka in protest at plans for Muslim Bangladesh's first women's wrestling competition(AFP)
Dhaka, July 4 (IANS) Bangladesh has called off its first women's wrestling event hours before it was scheduled Sunday, giving in to protests from Islamist radicals who had dubbed the event as "indecent".
An Islamic group, Jamiatul Ulama Islami Bangladesh, had waged a campaign to prevent the women's wrestling competition. A government decision was taken late Saturday night to call off the event for an indefinite period.
"We've suspended the event for security reasons," a senior sports ministry official told IANS.
Earlier, in the face of protests from the Jamiat, the Bangladesh Wrestling Federation had changed the venue of the competition.
"We are even ready to sacrifice our lives, if necessary, to protect our country from any kind of indecent sports," said Mohiuddin Khan, executive president of the Jamiat.
On Sunday morning, 50 women wrestlers gathered at the Women's Sports Complex, guarded by a huge contingent of police, only to be informed about the government's decision. The participants protested the suspension.
"We're here for a sports event, not for doing anything indecent," said Marjina Akhter, a participant.
"The government has ultimately bowed down to Islamist bigots but the government cannot stop the repression of women," said Yasmin Akhter, another wrestler who works with a local civil society group.
Bangladesh is a predominantly Muslim country but women regularly take part in many sports, including judo, taekwondo, karate, swimming, handball, athletics, volleyball and shooting.
The ruling coalition government led by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party includes two Islamic political parties -- Jamaat-e-Islami, Bangladesh, and Islami Oikya Jote
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Japan's wrestling federation head Tomiaki Fukuda, center, joins women's wrestlers, from left, Chiharu Icho, Saori Yoshida, Kaori Icho and Kyoko Hamaguchi to stand under a waterfall during a camp training at Nissekiji temple in central Japan, on Saturday July 3, 2004. The four women, seeking gold medals in the wrestling competition, are preparing for this summer's Athens Olympics at this temple, the head temple of the Shingon sector. Hamaguchi will also double as Japan's national flag-bearer at the opening and closing ceremonies. (AP Photo/Kyodo, Kazuhiro Ibuki)
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Japanese women's wrestlers, from left, Kyoko Hamaguchi, Kaori Icho, Saori Yoshida and Chiharu Icho, stand under a waterfall during a camp training at Nissekiji temple in central Japan, on Saturday July 3, 2004. The four, seeking gold medals in the women's wrestling competition, are preparing for this summer's Athens Olympics at this temple, the head temple of the Shingon sector. Hamaguchi will also double as Japan's national flag-bearer at the opening and closing ceremonies. (AP Photo/Kyodo, Kazuhiro Ibuki) __________________________________________________________________-
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