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| Afghanistan |
| Self Defense Classes in Kabul |
| 2003-09-22 |
| KABUL, Afghanistan, Sept. 21 -- Their head scarves kept slipping with every high kick. Their toes and knuckles scraped the concrete floor during warm-up stretches. Their lungs and muscles, unused to any exercise, tired easily "Try to take as much pain as you can stand," urged Mahbooba Rezahi, 17, the instructor of the only martial arts class for girls in the Afghan capital. "Breathe deeply . . . keep your elbows bent." She glanced up from a deep bend with a mock frown. "No giggling!" There were only nine students in Rezahi’s tae kwon do class at the Afghan Youth Club this morning -- a fraction of the 300 boys who attend its martial arts classes in the evenings. There were 13 girls participating until last week, when police came and locked the clubhouse doors twice, unnerving some of the teenage students and their parents. |
| Posted by:cheaderhead |
| #5 I'm with Sherry--there had better be some separate, justifiable reason for the shutdown other than that classes were being offered to women. Too much American blood has been shed ridding this country of that Taliban pestilence to put up with this petty crap. |
| Posted by: Dar 2003-9-22 11:00:28 PM |
| #4 There is only one paratrooper in the Afghan forces. She kicks ass and needs to be put on posters and explain why it is important for women to be able to defend themselves... because a large proportion of the decent men are dead and there are still a bunch of men theat need killing. |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2003-9-22 10:04:23 PM |
| #3 Hummmm -- for me, the most important part of this story is "police came and locked the clubhouse doors twice"... what's with this? I thought the Taliban were out of office... |
| Posted by: Sherry 2003-9-22 9:54:59 PM |
| #2 Afghan women need fire arms training. Of course if the men don't like th idea of tae kwon do, then they're really gonna have a fit at the thought of women with guns. It might put an an end to honor killings and such. |
| Posted by: Tokyo Taro 2003-9-22 9:14:45 PM |
| #1 shouldn't that be chedderhead? eh? |
| Posted by: Frank G 2003-9-22 7:49:42 PM |