Islamic_Women's_Games

Women's Islamic Games

Women's Islamic Games

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The Women's Islamic Games, also called the Muslim Women's Olympics,[1] were an international multi-sport event started in 1993. The event was organised by the Islamic Federation of Women's Sport. Muslim women of all nationalities were allowed to take part in the Games.[2]

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The event has been held in 1993, 1997, 2001, and 2005 in Iran.[3] The 1993 games saw athletes from 13 countries,[1] which increased to 44 countries by 2005.[4] In 2001, Britain became the first Muslim-minority country to participate.[5][6]

The games were recognized by the International Olympic Committee, and Mary Glen-Haig supervised the first games in 1993 as the IOC's representative.[7][8]

History

The Islamic Federation of Women's Sport was established in 1991.[2] Faezeh Hashemi, daughter of former Iranian president Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, was instrumental in initiating the games.[9][10] Hashemi also made an effort to include some controversial aspect in the opening ceremony for each games, in the hope of normalizing it. In 1996, for example, the opening ceremony included cycling, which women were not allowed to do in public at the time. The 2005 opening ceremony included men and women dancing together in a variety of styles, including ballet and disco.[11]

The debut games in 1993 included para table tennis for disabled sportswomen.[2]

Men and male coaches were absent from the audience at the sporting events which necessitated less body coverage, such as swimming, but were permitted to attended events such as chess and rifle shooting, which did not require a departure from islamic clothing, and horse riding events, since an athletic chador had been designed for the competitors.[10][12]

The games were primarily funded by the Iranian government, followed by Iranian corporate sponsors. In 2005, the only non-Iranian sponsor was Samsung.[11] That year, however, FIFA did make equipment donations in recognition of the attention the games were bringing to futsal.[11]

In 2018, Masoud Soltanifar, the Iranian Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs, announced the country would revive the event, although this did not come to fruition.[13]

Goals

  1. In sports and international competition, Muslim women cannot compete without protective clothing and headgear in accordance with Islam.
  2. Inspire Muslim women to achieve global competitiveness, on a regional, continental, world and Olympic scale.
  3. The Women's Islamic Games will be an international event, and records shall be kept of athletes' performances.

Editions

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Sports

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Medal count

Twenty five nations have won at least one medal in the Women's Islamic Games; twenty three nations have won at least one gold medal. As of the 2005 Games, Iran has won the most gold medals as well as the most medals overall.

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See also

References

  1. [1]
    Hargreaves, Jennifer (2002-09-11). Sporting Females: Critical Issues in the History and Sociology of Women's Sport. Routledge. p. 232. ISBN 978-1-134-91277-3.
  2. [2]
    Limoochi, Sima (13 September 2013). "Reflections on participation of Muslim women in disability sport: Hijab, Burkini, modesty and changing strategies". In M. Le Clair, Jill (ed.). Disability in the Global Sport Arena – A Sporting Chance. Taylor & Francis. pp. 235, 236. ISBN 9781135694241.
  3. [3]
    "The Women's Islamic Games". Muslim Women's Sport Foundation. Archived from the original on June 1, 2018. Retrieved 6 May 2017.
  4. [4]
    Harkness, Geoff; Islam, Samira (2017-01-13). "18. Muslim Female Athletes and the Hijab". In O'Brien, Jodi (ed.). Gender, Sexuality, and Intimacy: A Contexts Reader. SAGE Publications. ISBN 978-1-5063-5230-5.
  5. [5]
    McLeod, Hugh (2022-10-13). Religion and the Rise of Sport in England. Oxford University Press. p. 233. ISBN 978-0-19-267627-6.
  6. [6]
    Akbar, Arifa (2005-09-14). "Muslim women in a football league of their own". The Independent. Retrieved 2023-10-01.
  7. [7]
    Chatziefstathiou, D.; Henry, I. (2012-07-30). Discourses of Olympism: From the Sorbonne 1894 to London 2012. Springer. ISBN 978-1-137-03556-1.
  8. [8]
    Williams, Jean (2020-07-26). Britain's Olympic Women: A History. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-000-16320-9.
  9. [9]
    Ahmad, Aisha (25 January 2012). "7. British Muslim female experiences in football: Islam identity and the hijab". In Burdsey, Daniel (ed.). Race, Ethnicity and Football – Persisting Debates and Emergent Issues. Taylor & Francis. p. 109. ISBN 9781136726897.
  10. [10]
    Faruqi, Anwar (December 14, 1997). "Women's Islamic Games Open In Iran Without Male Audience, Women Can Swap Their Traditional Clothing For Athletic Gear". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved 2023-10-01.
  11. [11]
    "Fourth Women's Islamic Games an ambassadorial platform". Business Recorder. 2005-09-29. Retrieved 2023-10-01.
  12. [12]
    LoLordo, Ann (1997-12-18). "For Muslim women only Islamic games: A 10-day event in Iran brings women from 24 nations together to compete -- in some cases without male spectators or coaches". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 2023-10-01.
  13. [13]
    "Iran set to revive Women's Islamic Games: sports minister". Tehran Times. 2018-04-23. Retrieved 2023-09-30.
  14. [14]
    Fahey, Jamie (2022-08-02). Futsal: The Indoor Game That Is Revolutionizing World Soccer. Melville House. p. 238. ISBN 978-1-61219-980-1.

Further reading

  • Amara, M. Sport, Politics and Society in the Arab World. United Kingdom, Palgrave Macmillan UK, 2011. p 24.
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