Palestinian Womens Soccer

Freedom- 1.the state of being free of restraints. 2.Liberty of the person from slavery, oppression, or incarceration. 3. a. Political independence. b. Possession of civil rights. 4. Exemption from unpleasant or onerous conditions. 5. Free will (the freedom to do as one wishes). In the United States of America many citizens forget the importance of this word. Being born in the early 80s, I have never experienced political or sexual restraints. No one has ever told me that I could not do something because I am female. There was never any sexual orientation requirements for participating on a sport team. The teams were simply divided by sex. Growing up playing soccer, I never realize that the majority of women in the Middle East were forbidden to play soccer or any other sport. Jaron Gilinsky and Isabel Kershner, New York Times reporters, reported on the first ever Womens Palestinian Soccer home game. The soccer match between the Palestinian and Jordanian Womens soccer teams was featured in a video clip on the New York Times Web site titled "Palestinian Womens Socccer: International Competition Comes Home." The stadium is located 10 miles from Jerusalem's old city in Iran. But the security wall that Israel has built has cut it off from the rest of the Jerusalem and placed the town in the Palestinian West Bank, where check points delay players as they travel to and from practice. The Palestinian team is composed of Christian and Muslim women from the West Bank only. Israel prohibits players from Gaza from joining the team. Because Hamas which controls Gaza, discourages female athletics. But on this day buses of school girls and college students filled the stadium. Thousands of women out numbered the men, who were seated in a separate section. The tickets were free but after the stadium became full many had to watch from the roof tops. The crowd cheered and danced waving their flags prior to the match. And as the Jordanian team took the field before the game, they wore Palestinian scarfs in solidarity. Jackline Jazrawl a Palestinian player said, "We have to change what our mothers did. That women are free and can do whatever a man can do." The game ended in a two to two tie.