Equality through skateboarding: Afghan girls skate with Skateistan

A ray of light , every little bit helps !

Personally, I think the Taliban to be a group of men that want to turn the clock back 1,000 years. I also think this school of thought is tolerated because 1. this society hasn't advanced, socially, as the free world has & 2. the societys deep belief in Islam makes it hard to say you're wrong when a person can hold a Quaran in your face and dispute your arguments by quoting from it. It's hard to say I belief in Islam; but not this part of it.

As all of us, especially in the US, should realize, the best way to combat a social perception - a change - is to start with the kids. Our own civil rights movement was a hard fought and long uphill battle. It's my opinion, that the thing that made the most difference was forced busing. It guaranteed our kids an equal education and that was it's selling point - but it wasn't the main point. What it really did was put our kids together. Growing up together, attending the same schools, did more to erase racism than any other one thing. You get old, it's hard to change. Not so for kids. They learned there's no difference between races first hand. Now we're moving forward. This works.

Skateboarding, for both sexes, isn't going to combat the Taliban directly. Although a response from them wouldn't surprise me. But it will put the kids together sans the onus of male domination. This can only help. Not today, but down the road. Doesn't have to be skateboarding but if it is, so be it.

Occasionally one of my customers will ask for advise on mounting the little brass plates I engrave. How to drive in a little nail without messing up the plate. One of the things I always say is, "a bunch of little taps is better than a couple of big ones." Advancement of this society will be like that; a bunch of little taps.

America isn't going to defeat the Taliban. You can't make war on an idea. The Afgan people are the only ones that can defeat the Taliban. I expect the girls to lead the way. But you have to start with the kids.

Great post larock !!

Didn't know it was America's job to build up other countries while America's economy is literally dying o.o.

This is what the world's youth needs. Someone to care for on many levels not just physical and teach them. This is wonderful!

"Talib" means student. Taliban literally just being the plural of student.

Much of the Taliban grew up in Pakistani refugee camps in horrible conditions. Plenty of them never met their parents, knew nothing about their culture or their history and had no jobs, homes or farms to go back to. No wealth of any kind. Plenty of them had never seen a woman in their whole life.

The only education they received was in a madrassa from Mullahs who could barely read the book they were supposed to know. The only idea placed in their heads? That the prophet Muhammad created the perfect society 1400 years ago based on the teachings of the Koran, but really it was just whatever the local customs were in that area.

So when they heard that a couple of their fellow students drove off the Mujahideen warlords with just a few rifles, they came in tens of thousands to join what was really the only job in the whole fucking country. Warlording.

Afghanistan is fucked up BECAUSE we didn't rebuild their country after the Russians invaded. All we did is give them a bunch of weapons, funding and training that are all being used against us right now.

What we need to do is build schools, roads, hospitals, factories, farms and irrigation. We need to train engineers, doctors, scientists, statesmen, lawyers and architects.

This may not be much, but it's definitely a step in the right direction.

What use would it be if we only just killed off the Taliban? They'd be replaced by another warlord group in six months.

They need a country. And in the process we could demolish the home of Islamic Radicalism with prosperity and economic development, which is what those people really want anyway.

Denica, what in the world makes you think I don't care about "women's rights"? I was probably a feminist before you were born. "Women being raped is a big problem". Really? No kidding. That wins the John Candy "deep thought" award. I think women being stoned to death is kind of a big problem too. Don't you?

I'm here to argue women's rights, I'm a proponent of them. I'm just mocking the absurdity of thinking you can change Afghanistan by introducing SKATEBOARDING.

You want to help women? CHANGE THE MEN'S OPINIONS, DON'T TEACH WOMEN TO SKATE!

This action is an easy, symbolic bit of fluff that may end up with dead girls and bombed skate parks.

I have never once doubted your sincerest desire to help the women of Afghanistan, now stop insulting my intelligence or assuming I'm a misogynist just because I think this project is absurd.

Curtisreed,
The tri-caspian pipeline would need to go through A, as well as the large amounts of oil in that area as well. Women being raped is a huge problem.

You saying that it doesn't matter that they can go outside and play a sport after not even being able to make a sound with their shoe is just ridiculous. She is obviously siting this as a sign of (very slow) progress in the region for women's rights. If women's rights aren't important to you, don't comment. Countries with more women's rights are more stable, more profitable and have a higher standard of living for everyone.

You Libs talk a great talk about the USA "imposing its values", "imperialism", etc. There's always this compassionate drivel about learning to appreciate other cultures, but then you think the best thing to do is teach girls to skateboard...
Here's a great response:
"yeah, god forbid they show their body before being raped @ 15"
Right. And when the Taliban see these girls skating in Western garb, you think they won't stone them to death?
Let's send them electric guitars so they can start their own punk bands.
And then we'll give them video games so they can entertain themselves since they can't go to school.
Maybe we can get Barry Hussein to give them DVD collections of the best American movies???
Another gem reply from Denica_Cassandra:
"With women dying in Afghanistan from a vit D deficiency from LACK OF SUNLIGHT due to ignorant male ideals, (that the US didn't care about until their oil became available) this is epic. GET REAL"
I guess we should have invaded and waged a war on the Taliban BEFORE "oil became available"--by the way, what fricking OIL are you talking about in Afghanistan?
Here's another idea: let's spend US taxpayer dollars to build tanning salons in Kabul! That way, the girls get good and tan, have plenty of Vit D, before they are stoned to death for skating!

TALK ABOUT MISSING THE POINT.

This is goofy. "I always wanted an education, but then the Taliban blew up my school and killed my teachers. Just when I thought I had no hope, some Americans gave me a skateboard. Now, if I could only get an Ipod loaded with punk rock, I could grow up to be President."

Right on Skateistan - a unique way to help these children and especially females with self confidence.

Been skating for 5 years now. I really enjoyed this.

I've been skateboarding for 12 years and it has done so much for me. Not only as a human being, but as a woman. This is great for these kids!!!!

"Equality" through skating? Dude, what have you been smoking? Exactly HOW will these girls enjoy equality by picking up a skateboard? Will this give them a job in the new "skateboard" industry in Afghanistan? Do you expect these girls to show up at the X-games someday and "represent"? I guess the Taliban will lay down their arms once they realize that little girls from the desert can do an Ollie, right? Or do you think it's just a matter of time before they bomb the skate park? How will this help in a country that oppresses women? Will this endear western values somehow over there? Come on, grow up.

We need to do this in the US as well.

I agree all around! This IS what they all need for the future of this country... Especially "In a country where a whopping 50% of the population is under 16." If something needs to be done about/in Afghanistan, this is a good step toward it.

i like this better than the afghan top model thing.. thats just a bit of western vanity seeping in

YES! This is what we need to be doing. Working with the next generation is key to the future of this country. Installing skills, hope and working on a few of those barriers will have the most affect here!

This is amazingly good all around. More of this needs to be done all through out these war torn countries.