Shabnam Kulsoom says there is a hidden agenda behind the unjustified promotion of women’s football – to blur the lines between the sexes in an attempt to emasculate men and confuse women.
Pele, Maradona, Zidane, Ronaldo, Messi. Footballing legends who set the world alight with their skills on the pitch. Their names will always be remembered by football fans for years to come because of the impact they left on the game and, of course, their charitable contributions and activism off the pitch.
Football was and has always been a man’s game – the camaraderie of the team, the dirt, sweat and tears on the pitch. It was a game made by men for men, no matter their class and social status.
But unfortunately in 1991, FIFA introduced the Women’s World Cup and the summer of 2023 marks the 8th tournament, hosted by Australia and New Zealand.
If you were to ask me to name just one woman footballer, I categorically couldn’t. Should I (as a woman), hang my head in shame for not being able to do this, yet at the same time be able to name numerous male footballers? Should it be expected of me to know this simply by virtue of being a woman?
In the last few years, we have seen a very active and suspicious push in promoting women’s football despite the fact that it is a very poor product and essentially no one cares. This agenda went into overdrive when England’s “Lionesses” won the worthless Euro 2022 tournament. One would actually think they conquered the whole world AND the moon the way mainstream media was celebrating the win, such was the uber hyperbolic praise.
Apparently this “win” for England cemented women as somewhat “serious” footballers. Immediate calls were made for funding to be made available for schools to invest in more footballing opportunities for young girls. Women were striking while the iron was hot, even demanding equal salaries to men (haha).
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We saw the scenes of women in changing rooms celebrating, jumping on desks at press conferences, such was the jubilation. In all honesty, it was embarrassing. They resembled hooligans or drunken louts stumbling out of pubs and clubs on a Saturday night, making spectacles of themselves.
Some media outlets were pitting the women’s team against the men’s, rubbing salt in the wounds of men because they hadn’t won any tournaments since 1966. But let’s be completely honest – we all know women can’t play Premier League standard football or even non league standard for that matter. The attendance at women’s games (basically one man and his dog and as many free tickets that can be given away) bare testament to that.
Yet in the UK we are led to believe that women can actually play good football just because of one laughable England win in 2022. But I can confidently say (as someone who used to help out at a local children’s community coaching club) that these women would, most likely, lose to a team of 12 year old boys.
Nouhaila Benzina
Moreover, in recent days, the conversation around Muslim representation has once again surfaced on social media, since Moroccan footballer Nouhaila Benzina was celebrated for becoming the first hijabi Muslim footballer at the World Cup, with Morrocco being the only Arab team to qualify.
Let us be clear. This is not a moment of celebration for Muslims but a moment of sadness at our ignorance. The overall, scholarly consensus is that hijab (or khimar as it appears in the Qur’an) is an obligation from Allah SWT upon all believing Muslim women.
“And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and guard their chastity, and not to reveal their adornments, except what normally appears. Let them draw their veils over their chests and not reveal their hidden adornments..” Qur’an Surah An Nur 24:31
“O Prophet! Ask your wives, daughters and believing women to draw their cloaks over their bodies. In this way it is more likely that they will be recognised as virtuous and not be harassed. And Allah is All Forgiving. Most Merciful.” Qur’an Al Ahzab 33:59
So the only choice is to accept or reject His instruction. It is a physical and spiritual state of being: hijab in the physical sense means to cover from head to below the ankles in loose clothing, so as to not show the shape of the body. The face and hands can be uncovered, with some scholars saying that the face should also be covered.
For anyone who has seen the image of the sister, her clothing does not adhere to the Islamic specification of hijab. Sure, she has a hijab on her head, but what about the rest of her body and shape which is clearly on show? A hadith pertains to this where Abu Huraira reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) made mention of those who would not enter Paradise nor smell its odour: “the women who would be dressed but appear to be naked”- Sahih Muslim 2128.
Another point to consider is why is it so important for Muslim women to compromise their Islam for what is essentially a stupid game? And to be dressed in such a manner in front of an audience which will no doubt include men. Is it really worth accumulating sins by parading yourself in front of non-mahram men, and sometimes the occasional touch from a male coach, all for play, amusement and money? Are we not told by the Almighty to control our egos and desires?
Imitating men
And what of imitating the behaviour of men? The imitation of men by women and vice versa is clearly prohibited in Islam. Narrated by Ibn Abbas who stated:
“The Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) cursed the women who imitate men and the men who imitate women.” – Jami at-Tirmidhi 2784
Yet we see women footballers channelling masculine behaviour, outwardly in their postures, the way they speak in lower octaves etc.
Then we have a large number of female players championing the LGBTQ flag. During a press conference, Morocco’s captain Ghizlane Chebbak was actually pinned on this point by a BBC journalist. However, the journalist was forced to apologise for asking an “unethical” and “dangerous” question regarding Morrocco’s laws on such relationships.
So what is the hidden agenda and the end game here? For women to take up a space that for the most part of its history, has been taken by men? For Muslim women to be corrupted and misguided by liberal agendas that do not acknowledge an Akhirah of accountability? In the name of equality, is this another challenge by the feminist agenda to compete with men and assert the matriarchy in a sport that has traditionally been male-dominated?
If that is the case, perhaps it is time the women should grow some proverbial “balls” in the name of equality and go head to head with men in a tournament? Or perhaps they should show REAL courage, ditch the game and assert matriarchy by going to war for us too.
After all, isn’t that traditionally what men do?
