Saudi cleric says sport is ‘corrupting’ women
A leading Saudi cleric has urged the Saudi Arabian Government to uphold a ban that disallows women's sports in the Kingdom.
Sheikh Abdul Karim al-Khudhair, a member of Saudi Arabia's Council of Senior Scholars, said sports were "corrupting" and "satanic" for women and they should stay at home instead, the Associated Press reports.
Al-Khudair's comments come amid increasing calls for restrictions to be eased to help address the country's growing obesity problem.
The Saudi Government had previously chosen to turn a blind eye to unlicensed women's gyms in order to avoid criticism from religious scholars.
It is still illegal for women's gyms or fitness centres to operate in the country, but many underground venues exist and these are becoming increasingly popular.
In January, health officials closed down one women's fitness centre that was attached to a hospital in Jeddah.
"Anyone who violates regulations governing the running of health facilities would be punished severely because this involves people's health", Muhammad Abdul Jawad, Director of the Medical Licensing Administration, told local media at the time.
In response to Al-Khudair's comments, Stockholm-based academic Dr M Abdulrahman has suggested the establishment of neighborhood gyms, suggesting that male family members could "accompany their wives, daughters or sisters to the gym ... (stay and) drink tea outside, play with children and bring them home safely."
In this way Dr Abdulrahman believes that Saudi Arabia can "can provide gyms in an Islamic way."
16th April 2010 - SAUDI OFFICIALS CLOSE ‘ILLEGAL’ WOMEN’S FITNESS CENTRE
