source: Washington Post, april 15th 2008
In Saudi Arabia, practising sports is not a common thing to do for girls. Islamic rule is strict and forbids sports for girls in public schools and gyms. It's one of the few countries without female delegates competing in the Olympics. Many people in this deeply patriarchal and traditional society believe that female athletes could lead to Western-style independence for women and an erosion of established culture.
But girls are starting to resist these restrictions. Like the Jeddah United women's basketball team for instance. Read more about their motivations and struggle for freedom in sports in the article in the Washington Post. Or watch the short movie about them.