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KABUL: Authorities confirmed membership revocation of the two female athletics from Afghanistan National Bowling Team as the athletics have neglected wearing of “Islamic Hijab” (veil) during their play in one of the gulf countries.
The National Bowling Federation has described the two athletic as Fazila Hoorzad and Zohal Bayat.
The federation said that the two athletics have neglected the wearing of Islamic Hijab and opposed the policy of the federation while they were at the 25th Asian Bowling Championship in Kuwait.
“In accordance to the federation policy and rules, serious acts will be made against the disregarding of Islamic Hijab,” said Sayed Ahad Sorush, spokesman for the federation.
But one of these athletics, Fazila Hoorzad, whose memberships has been cancelled, called the implementation a “slander” against herself.
“We fully appeared in Islamic veil in our matches and attended all the official meeting and events with Hijab,” she said, adding, “It is our choice to decide how to appear out the official time.”
Meanwhile, the videos and photos of 25th Asian Bowling Championships have shown these two athletics with Hijab.
Samira Hamidi, an Afghan women rights activist and regional campaigner for Amnesty International has termed the federation‘s decision a discrimination act and a clear violence against women.
“It is not the first time that women in Afghanistan have been deprived of their membership rights. No law or policy can limit a person’s privacy,” she added.
She called for an immediate halt of such actions, saying that women would hardly dare to join such fields as they would be concerned about their privacy.
“In a society where attending women in sports are regarded as a taboo breaking, women should not be victimized anymore,” Samira emphasized.
She demanded the related authorities to re-grant the athletics’ membership and let them attend the national and international games.
Afghanistan is considered one of the restricted countries against women in the world. Women are paid with less freedom and treated with sever limitation.
