SUNDAY 29 JUNE 2014 • [email protected] • www.thepeninsulaqatar.com • 4455 7741 inside Transformers: Age CAMPUS of Extinction: Series • PEC students achieve 100 percent result in gets a reboot, but no SSC-II examination transformation P | 4 P | 8-9 FOOD • July Fourth celebrations didn’t always include pie P | 6 BOOKS • Making Soapies in Kabul by Trudi-Ann Tierney Trundling down dun-coloured P | 7 mountain slopes, they disregard hard stares and vulgarities from passing men, revelling in an activity that HEALTH seemed unthinkable for previous • Study links traumatic generations of Afghan women brain injury to –- riding a bicycle. The country’s increased dementia risk 10-member national women’s cycling team is challenging gender stereotypes, often at great personal P | 11 risk, training their eyes not just on the 2020 Olympics but a goal even more ambitious — to get more TECHNOLOGY Afghan women on bikes. • Android spreading to watches, cars and TV SYMBOL OF P | 12 LEARN ARABIC • Learn commonly used Arabic words FREEDOM and their meanings P | 13 2 PLUS | SUNDAY 29 JUNE 2014 COVER STORY Bicycle a new metaphor of freedom for Afghan women By Anuj Chopra bottoms, jerseys and helmets, Marjan and half cyclist came out to cheer them on the way to a dozen team members, all aged between 17 and Paghman, waving, applauding, and exuding rundling down dun-coloured mountain 21, set out for a training ride from Kabul to the enthusiasm that is not shared by most of her slopes, they ignore hard stares and vul- hills of neighbouring Paghman. extended family. garities from passing men, revelling in Mindful of turning heads and ogling eyes, “My daughter is living my dream,” said Maria Tan activity that seemed unthinkable for they rode in the amber light of dawn through Rasooli, mother of 20-year-old university stu- previous generations of Afghan women — riding a landscape of grassy knolls, fruit orchards and dent Firoza. a bicycle. tree-lined boulevards. “My parents never allowed me to ride The sight of a woman on a bicycle may not be A little boy dressed in a grubby shalwar a bicycle. I can’t let the same happen,” she unusual in most parts of the world, but it is a strik- kameez stopped by the wayside and stared at said, adding that she and her husband kept ing anomaly in Afghanistan where strict Islamic the girls with wonder and amazement. relatives and neighbours in the dark about mores deem the sport unbecoming for women. Up ahead, dour-looking bearded men in a their daughter’s sport because “they just won’t The country’s 10-member national women’s Toyota minivan pulled up parallel to the cyclists understand”. cycling team is challenging those gender stere- -- their stares were more menacing. Thirteen years since the Taliban were toppled otypes, often at great personal risk, training But the wheels continued to spin as the from power in a US-led invasion, Afghan women their eyes not just on the 2020 Olympics but a women powered ahead undaunted. have taken giant strides of progress with access goal even more ambitious -- to get more Afghan They have become accustomed to the hostility, to education and healthcare. women on bikes. often accompanied by insults: Female lawmakers are no longer an anomaly “For us, the bicycle is a symbol of freedom,” “You’re bringing dishonour to your families.” in Afghan politics and the ongoing election saw said Marjan Sidiqqi, 26, a team member who is “Go home.” the participation of the country’s first woman also the assistant coach. But the team say they are emboldened despite vice presidential candidate. “We are not riding bikes to make a political such attitudes -- partly due to the encouraging That marks a sea change in women’s rights statement. We’re riding because we want to, support from unexpected quarters. from the Taliban-era, when women weren’t because we love to, because if our brothers can, allowed to leave their homes without a male so can we.” ‘Living my dream’ chaperone and were brutally repressed and con- One crisp morning, dressed in tracksuit Fully cloaked in black, the mother of one signed to the shadows. PLUS | SUNDAY 29 JUNE 2014 3 But gender parity still remains in the incident, which drove and diet with Shannon Galpin, a distant dream as conservative Mohammed Sadiq, head of the an American competitive cyclist attitudes prevail. Afghan Cycling Federation who who is coaching the team for the That sentiment is portrayed in was trailing the women in his forthcoming Asian Games in a mural by graffiti artist Shamsia SUV, into a paroxysm of fury. South Korea. Hassani on the walls of a Kabul He chased down the men — Back on the training ride, the cafe: burqa-clad women trapped the two pillion riders escaped, exhausted girls gathered by a in a watery universe — an alle- but he caught the driver by his freshwater stream in Paghman gory of women in the post-Tali- collar and hauled him over to the to refuel on naan bread, raisins ban era who have a voice but still police headquarters. and cottage cheese. cannot be heard. Sadiq, who established the Near a roadside kiosk where On a recent training team in 2003 after his own fresh plums, cherries and mul- ‘Boys or girls?’ daughter expressed an interest in berries dangled from strings, a session outside It’s hard to reason with self- cycling, said the women’s safety curious Afghan man sidled up to Kabul, three young proclaimed arbiters of “morality” was a constant concern — and Marjan. who regard a woman mounted on plans for international troops to “Are you with those cyclists Afghan men riding a a bicycle as unconceivably risque, pull out of Afghanistan by 2016 going around the mountain?” he say members of the cycling team. has perpetuated those anxieties. asked. motorbike swooped On a recent training ses- “If the Taliban return, the first Startled, Marjan’s eyes darted sion outside Kabul, three young casualty will be women’s rights,” around as she braced for trouble. out of nowhere and Afghan men riding a motorbike he said in an interview in Kabul’s “Yes,” she replied hesitantly. sideswiped one of the swooped out of nowhere and old city. “Are they boys or girls?” the sideswiped one of the cyclists, As he spoke, half a dozen young man enquired. cyclists, 18-year-old 18-year-old Sadaf Nazari, who women, some sporting kohl- Marjan’s face lit up with tripped and tumbled on top of accented eyes and henna-dyed bravado. Sadaf Nazari, who Marjan. hair, convened in his living room “Girls,” she beamed proudly. tripped and tumbled on Marjan badly injured her back for a discussion about nutrition AFP top of Marjan. 4 PLUS | SUNDAY 29 JUNE 2014 CAMPUS PEC students achieve 100 percent sucess in SSC-II examination The students of Pakistan Education Centre Doha Qatar achieved excellent results in the SSC Part-II Annual Examination 2014 conducted by the FBISE, Islamabad. Maaz Khurram got 999 marks out of 1050 and stood first at Pakistan Education Centre. Abeer Yasmeen Babar got second position by securing 993 marks while Ambreen Riaz stood third with 985 marks. As many as 140 students appeared in SSC-II Exam from PEC. 40 percent of them secured A1 and A grades, 47 percent B grades and 1 2 3 others C grades. Maaz Khuram Abeer Yasmeen Ambreen Riaz Ahmad Shams Ahmed SafiullahAmna SharifAyesha Nadar Bilal Shakeel Duaa Tahir Fatima Ali Hiba Shakeel Abrar Ahmad Khadija-Tul- Khizra Mariam M Amin Maryam M Farooq Muhammad Faizan Muhammad Khalid Kamran Januja Aisha Sultan Kubra Azam Yousaf Sarah Saleem Shaima Raees Sufyan Rizwan Taimiyyah Tariq Shah Zubair Iqbal Zulaika Musab Khan Niazi BFPIS presents excellence awards top achievers right Future Pakistani International School hon- Boured its top achievers of the last academic ses- sion in a ceremony held at the office of the Chairman of Board of Directors of BFPIS. Two students, who excelled in Federal Board, Pakistan’s Examinations in the last session were awarded I-Pads in recognition to their outstanding results. Masooma Safeer and Fatima Haji Mohammad topped not only the local schools in Doha but also succeeded to win Academic Scholarship from the Federal Board due to their results. Abdul Rehman Mohd Al Meer, Chairman, BFPIS, handed over the aawrds to both students. He appreci- ated the exceptional performance of the students and lauded the efforts of the academic staff for maintain- ing high educational standards at BFPIS. Qazi Mohammad Asghar, Member, Board of Directors, and Imran Waheed, Principal BFPIS, were also present on the occasion. The Peninsula COMMUNITY / MARKETPLACE PLUS | SUNDAY 29 JUNE 2014 5 Giant Ralph Lauren bag displayed at Villaggio Trinity College of London Music exams o celebrate the launch of the new variations of its iconic Ricky Bag, Ralph Lauren is Music Lounge, a music and arts training centre, located in Al Texhibiting a giant Ricky Bag at stores around the world. This month, the exhibit trav- Wakra, held its maiden Trinity College of London music exams elled to the Galeries Lafayette flagship in Paris, where a pop-up shop has been installed to recently. Out the 32 students who appeared, 25 students achieved showcase the new clementine giant Ricky Bag, before continuing its adventure to Qatar at distinctions and 7 got merits. This music school conducts regular the Ralph Lauren store at Villaggio Mall. classes in piano, keyboard, guitar, violin, drums, Indian vocals and The giant Ricky Bag, in vibrant red, made its debut in September, 2013 at Saks Fifth Avenue dance.