Thank the US Military and POTUS George Bush

NousDefionsDoc · 08-22-2004, 00:14

Look here for freedom

Anybody that says we shouldn't take people like the Taliban out can kiss my ass.

This is a perfect example of why SF guys do what we do - so an 18 year-old girl can run in the Olympics and represent her country if she wants to.

De Oppresso Liber and let 'em run!

Sdiver · 08-22-2004, 00:51

The Iraqi men's Soccer team on the verge of making it to the Medels round....and having FUN doing it.

An 18 year old WOMAN from Afganistan compeating on the world stage.....

Yep....war never solved a thing.

Adam White · 08-22-2004, 01:16

Outstanding story - and great web site - now I know the best place to go to keep up with the Games!

Radar Rider · 08-22-2004, 04:56

There is no doubt that everything we do as a nation only helps the downtrodden. The losers that REFUSE to see that (democRATs) should just burn in hell.

rubberneck · 08-22-2004, 07:39

They did a short segment on her during the NBC telecast last night. The one poart that caught me a little off guard was when they interviewed an Afghani soldier who said that if she were his sister he would kill her for showing her face in public. It was quite sad actually that despite her gains she still has to deal with that non-sense when she gets home.

Adam White · 08-22-2004, 08:39

Quote:

Originally posted by rubberneck
They did a short segment on her during the NBC telecast last night. The one poart that caught me a little off guard was when they interviewed an Afghani soldier who said that if she were his sister he would kill her for showing her face in public. It was quite sad actually that despite her gains she still has to deal with that non-sense when she gets home.

I'd give 9:1 odds that the reporter who got that quote was assigned the job of specifically getting that quote. I hope that he had to interview several peoiple before he got what he was looking for.

I see this in the same vain as the crap Sports Illustrated pulled about the Iraqi soccer team, implying that some ignorant quote from two benchwarmers reflected the attotudes of the team. The fact is, if they could have gotten an anti-American quote form one of the starters - or even SCORERS, you know damn well they would have used it.

Unfortunately, now you have even more Americans calling for us to pull out, just based on that SI article. It wouldn't surprise me now if some other people see that comment from Afghanistan and start claiming nothing has changed. It must be hard to win hearts and minds in either culture when the media is dead set against you.

We all know that you can go to any group of 100 random Americans and get dman near ANY viewpoint or quote you want. I think most Americans relaize this, but many cannot imagine the same is true elsewhere in the world The media will always find the quote to fit in with their agenda and preconceived notions.

rubberneck · 08-22-2004, 08:46

Quote:

Originally posted by Adam White
I'd give 9:1 odds that the reporter who got that quote was assigned the job of specifically getting that quote. I hope that he had to interview several peoiple before he got what he was looking for.

I see this in the same vain as the crap Sports Illustrated pulled about the Iraqi soccer team, implying that some ignorant quote from two benchwarmers reflected the attotudes of the team. The fact is, if they could have gotten an anti-American quote form one of the starters - or even SCORERS, you know damn well they would have used it.

Unfortunately, now you have even more Americans calling for us to pull out, just based on that SI article. It wouldn't surprise me now if some other people see that comment from Afghanistan and start claiming nothing has changed. It must be hard to win hearts and minds in either culture when the media is dead set against you.

We all know that you can go to any group of 100 random Americans and get dman near ANY viewpoint or quote you want. I think most Americans relaize this, but many cannot imagine the same is true elsewhere in the world The media will always find the quote to fit in with their agenda and preconceived notions.

That wans't really my point as I trust very little from the "mainstream" media nowadays. The fact is you cannot ignore how muslim societies value or treat the fairer sex. The fact is that 5 teams didn't send any women to the games and all 5 were muslim coutries. Viewed in that light and given the historical treatment of women in those societies it isn't a real strech to believe that soldiers comments weren't that far out of the mainstream.

NousDefionsDoc · 08-22-2004, 09:40

Which 5 teams/countries?

Adam White · 08-22-2004, 10:08

Quote:

Originally posted by rubberneck
That wans't really my point as I trust very little from the "mainstream" media nowadays. The fact is you cannot ignore how muslim societies value or treat the fairer sex. The fact is that 5 teams didn't send any women to the games and all 5 were muslim coutries. Viewed in that light and given the historical treatment of women in those societies it isn't a real strech to believe that soldiers comments weren't that far out of the mainstream.

OK, l got ya now - I agree completely that it wasn't that hard to find such comments. Still, I'm sure they could have found someone happy for her as well. Obviously her own brother / father didn't kill her.

rubberneck · 08-22-2004, 10:45

Quote:

Originally posted by NousDefionsDoc
Which 5 teams/countries?

The story said 5 countries but only mentioned Saudi Arabia and Qatar by name (I think it was a not so subtle jab at our "allies"). I'll try and run down the others later on but I suspect Iran and Syria will be two of the remaining three. The story did mention that Pakistan sent 1 woman who was the first woman ever to compete from Pakistan

**Airbornelawyer** · 08-23-2004, 16:06

Quote:

Originally posted by rubberneck
The story said 5 countries but only mentioned Saudi Arabia and Qatar by name (I think it was a not so subtle jab at our "allies"). I'll try and run down the others later on but I suspect Iran and Syria will be two of the remaining three. The story did mention that Pakistan sent 1 woman who was the first woman ever to compete from Pakistan

The Syrian team has at least one female member. Syria is a secular Ba'athist state, not Islamist, and by Arab standards actually was a pioneer for women's rights.

Iran's team has one female member, Nassim Hassanpour. She will celebrate her 20th birthday at the games on August 25. She came in 28th in the Women's 10 meter air rifle, two points ahead of Washington MPD Lieutenant "Libby" Callahan (who is twice Nassim's age).

I do not believe Oman has any females on its team. Nor does the United Arab Emirates, whose team has only four members anyway. With Saudi Arabia and Qatar, that gives you four. The fifth is Brunei, whose entire team is runner Jimmy Anak Ahar.

On the other hand, in a blow for women's rights, it appears that the entire team from Burma (Myanmar) is female - all three of them.

Quote:

Originally posted by rubberneck
...The one part that caught me a little off guard was when they interviewed an Afghani soldier who said that if she were his sister he would kill her for showing her face in public...

Another pet peeve of mine (I got a million of 'em): "Afghani" is a unit of currency. A person from Afghanistan is an Afghan (as are the dog and the blanket).

NousDefionsDoc · 08-23-2004, 16:16

We call them Afghanos and Afghanas - depending on the sex.