First Arab-Muslim sumo wrestler faces challenges in Japan
 

With legs resembling tree trunks and packing the body weight of two average-sized men, sumo wrestling’s ‘Great Sandstorm’ would seem a good fit for the wildly popular Japanese sport.

But Egypt’s Abdelrahman Ahmed Shaalan, the first professional sumo wrestler from both the African continent and Arab world, faces some mighty challenges as he embarks on a quest to become a yokozuna, or grand champion.

The man known by the ring name Osunaarashi, which translates as Great Sandstorm, prays five times a day as a devout Muslim, a tough routine given the intense daily training schedule required for sumo’s highly ritualized contests.

Small in number, foreigners are vital members of tradition-bound sumo as more Japanese youngsters with high athletic abilities tend to choose baseball, football and other lucrative or more high-profile sports with less rigid conventions.

Mongolians have been a dominant force in the top ranks for years, although Shaalan is among the sport’s first Muslim competitors.

As such, the 20-year-old does not touch the deep-fried pork cutlets loved by millions of Japanese or drink vast quantities of beer and rice wine sake, staples of a diet that sumo wrestlers rely on to bulk up, since Muslims avoid pork and alcohol.

But Shaalan, who quit his university accounting degree to enter sumo’s professional ranks, is undeterred, and brushing aside the challenges presented by the holy month of Ramadan when he cannot eat or drink during daylight hours, knowing that regular sumo tournaments are held in the afternoon.

“I am confident that I can overcome my challenges,” the burly wrestler told Japanese media last month after winning his first two professional-level matches at a tournament in the western city of Osaka.

Shaalan, a native of Giza, which is home to Egypt’s pyramids, insisted he was able to train for at least four hours in the daytime during the Islamic celebration.

“I want to become a wrestler who represents Arab and African nations... My dream is to become a yokozuna,” said the Egyptian, who stands at 189 centimeters and weighs 145 kilograms.

He did, however, concede: “I am a little bit worried. But no problem.”

Japan’s sumo association could not say whether the Great Sandstorm is the sport’s first Muslim competitor. There have been unconfirmed reports of Muslim sumo wrestlers in the past.

His coach, a former wrestler known as Otake, has promised he’ll keep his new recruit in top shape, even changing the recipe for a meat, vegetable and fish stew known as Chankonabe which wrestlers devour on a daily basis.

“When we serve pork cutlet, we prepare chicken cutlet for him. When we use pork for Chankonabe, we let him eat something else,” the coach said.

“But I want him to get used to the customs and traditions of the sumo world otherwise.”

Shaalan’s coach is most concerned about keeping his young apprentice focused amid the media storm sparked by the newcomer’s spectacular debut, which included dumping his Japanese opponent with a powerful arm throw.

“It was very exciting,” declared the novice, who was not allowed to do a one-on-one interview under sumo association guidelines for new recruits.
 

Otake was less enthusiastic about the victories that earned Shaalan a coveted spot in the sport’s bi-monthly tournaments, although he will start at the bottom of the rankings at the next meeting in May.

“He needed to crouch lower in exchanging thrusts,” the sumo master said, adding that his apprentice was not flexible enough to do the splits.
“I will teach him to become more humble as his ranking rises.”

Shaalan’s arrival in the pro ranks came after he won an open-class bronze medal at the 2008 world junior sumo championships and an over-100 kilogram bronze at the 2010 edition.

Despite its popularity, the sport has suffered in recent years with a hugely damaging bout-fixing scandal that infuriated the public and forced the resignations of about two dozen wrestlers and a stable master.

Sometimes brutal training methods and allegations of illegal drug use have also come under the microscope.

None of that is likely to turn off the determined Shaalan, whose love affair with sumo began at the age of 15 when he was invited by a friend to a practice session.

“I was impressed by the strength of sumo wrestlers who behaved as if nothing had happened even after they lost or got tired,” he said.

“I want the world to understand sumo.”

Source: Al Arabia News

How life has changed for Muslim women in France following burqa ban
 

The French government introduced a ban on wearing a full veil in public a year ago this week. DW looks at how life has changed for Muslim women in France, and the challenges they face on the road to integration.

Mabrouka is playing with her two-year-old daughter in her apartment in the northern suburbs of Paris. This is a familiar playground for little Asma, as the pair no longer get to go out very often: Mabrouka is one of an estimated 2,000 women in France who wear a niqab - a full veil, covering everything but her eyes. And for a year now, she's been banned from wearing it in public.

The 30-year-old, who asked DW not to publish her last name, still ventures out occasionally to the local shops. By wearing the niqab in public, Mabrouka is risking a fine of up to 150 euros ($200), or being asked to take a citizenship course. She says the police generally turn a blind eye when she's with her daughter, but the bank manager has told her he doesn't want her entering the local bank. which means her husband has to take care of her bank transactions.

The law was introduced by President Nicolas Sarkozy's center-right government on April 11, 2011 in the hope that it would help improve security, promote gender equality and protect the dignity of women. But for those who insist on wearing the full veil, it seems the opposite is the case. Mabrouka claims she has lost much of her freedom, and is now more reliant than ever on her husband.

"It's only now that I've become dependent,” Mabrouka told DW. “I worked for five years, and I wasn't married at the time. I wore the full veil, I used public transport, I went on long journeys, I went out with my friends … and now I have to content myself with my little area and nothing more.”

French Muslims have other concerns

Despite the attention the ban has received, it only affects a relatively small number of women. According to the French justice ministry, there were roughly 100 incidents of niqab-wearers being stopped by police in the first six months of the ban.

Last September, Hind Ahmas, 32, and Najate Naït Ali were fined 120 euros and 80 euros, respectively, after being stopped near the town hall in Meaux, east of Paris, where they had intended to present a birthday cake to Jean-Francois Cope. He is mayor of Meaux and the architect of the ban. Ahmas and Ali have vowed to take their case to the European Court of Human Rights if necessary, arguing that the law contravenes legislation on personal liberties and freedom of religion.

The vast majority of French Muslims do not cover their faces - and many in the Muslim community are far more concerned about the ban on displaying religious symbols in schools, which came into effect in 2004, and affected many teachers and pupils who wanted to wear the more common hijab, or Islamic headscarf.

France has the largest Muslim population in western Europe - an estimated eight to nine percent of the total population. The vast majority are of North African origin, from the former French colonies of Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia. The Muslim community has often felt challenged by the strict separation of religion and public life, or laïcité, a principle cherished by French people from across the political spectrum.

A former minister in Sarkozy's government, Algerian-born Fadela Amara, described the burqa as a "kind of tomb, a horror for those trapped within it." But even among Sarkozy's left-wing opponents, there is little support for repealing the law, since secularism is an issue that still unites the fragmented left.

'It's the ban that's restrictive, not the burqa'

In the Parisian suburbs, Mabrouka is experiencing that very sense of exclusion. But she does not conform to the stereotype of a downtrodden woman. Born in Lyon to Tunisian parents, she works part-time as a private tutor, and continues to visit her students in their nearby homes. She is highly educated, having studied Arabic and history at university, and she's also qualified to teach French as a foreign language.

She started wearing the niqab seven years ago as a symbol of her devotion to God. She says her husband had nothing to do with her choice, as she was already wearing it when she met him. Under the law, anyone forcing a woman to wear a full veil can be fined up to 30,000 euros, but so far no one has been punished for that offence.

Mabrouka admits that it may seem bizarre to subject herself to such a restrictive life for a piece of cloth, but she claims it's French society, not her religion, that is hampering her freedom. After a year of living under the new law, she's even thinking about leaving the country in which she was born.

"I don't want to spend the rest of my life here. I have plans to move away, because I don't want to live like this," she said. "But at the moment it's difficult to choose, because in Europe you have to speak a second language ... and in the Arab countries, there's a lot of tension at the moment. Belgium is a French-speaking country, but they've gone down the same road as France. So for the moment I'm a bit trapped."

Full article: DW

Q: Dear Kareema, I find skipping is great for me as it gets my heart rate up rapidly and like many I’m time poor. How do I know how much I’ve done and what can I do to further challenge myself?

A: Well, the skipping rope has long been my favourite for the ultimate cardio challenge.

There are quite a few ‘smart’ ropes out on the market – why not invest in one that counts the kilojoules burned as well as the kilometres reached on your skipping journey.

It will also improve your balance, coordination and agility, so jump to it!
 

Your challenge then would be to skip longer, faster, or further…

Q: Dear Flightstar Fozi, I'm planning to take a trip by myself. Are there any destinations that are especially appealing for solo travellers?  

 

Flightsar Fozi: First off, you're not alone. Solo travellers account for 11 percent of all Australian vacationers. No destination is strictly off-limits to solo travellers, but some places are easier (and more appealing) to navigate than others.

In general, the best bets for first-time single travellers are English-speaking destinations known for their friendliness and hospitality, such as Ireland, New Zealand, and USA.

After all, you're a lot less likely to get lost or feel lonely if you're surrounded by people who can understand what you're saying.

Within Southeast Asia, Thailand and Vietnam are also particularly welcoming.  .