My pretty girl, Janice, visited today. I’m so delighted! As usual, she smiled so sweetly at me. I’m in such a good mood that I decide to write this entry.

Do you remember Robina Muqimyar, the 100m-sprint athlete who represented Afghanistan Beijing Olympics? I have mentioned her story and I picked it up yesterday. While searching for several video clips about her, I learned more about her team mate Mehbooba Andyar (who disappeared in Italy just 2 weeks before the 2008 Olympics), as well as an Iraqi athlete, Dana Hussain, who wore a second-hand new balance spikes for her match and who risked her life to train in a country torn by war. As I was watching these clips, I tried very hard not to tear. Once again these people, whom the Chinese media labeled as “people you should never forget”, touched me. I don’t know how much hardship the girls have endured to make it to Beijing, but they deserve all my utmost respect. I’ve missed out so much last year because of the stupid a levels. I really look forward to 2012, I’m determined to watch everything, especially the track and field matches.

In an interview with Robina, she told Chinese reporter that she could only train at night, mostly in her backyard, on concrete ground, when her neighbors were watching TV. Even though her life may be endangered, she does not regret for participating in the Olympics. She just wants to change people’s perception of woman in Afghanistan. I totally agree with one of her statement that the Chinese media highlighted “if only Afghanis athlete could have proper trainings with better equipments and training grounds, we can be as good as any others.” Many Chinese netizens praised her as the Hua Mu Lan (a legendary female hero who conscripted into the army in place of her father) of Afghanistan. She may be the last to finish her race, but she was the champion in everyone’s heart. I am so touched by her passion for sports and determination to change her society. It’s a pity that due to high living expenses, she has to go back immediately after her race and she only stayed 2 days in Beijing. (Click me to watch the video clip)

Dana Hussain's story is another one that will move you to tears. (Click me to watch the video clip).

In another video clip featuring the interview of Andyar, her mother said something that leaves me with a very deep impression, “the Quran taught man and woman to be equal, but this is not happening in Afghanistan.” (Click me to watch the video clip) Here's a video that features what happened to Andyar after her disappearance. (Click me to watch the video clip)

Here I am raising the issue on gender equality again. I have done a lot of reading on this issue in preparation for GP. The most frequently asked question is “can man and woman ever be equal?” My answer is definitely NO, not until everybody has homogenous biological traits (which is deemed impossible).

I believe the idea of suppressing woman is not a teaching in any religion, not even in Confucianism. It’s the ruling party (most, if not all are males) that distorted the teachings to suit their own greed. Confucian merely suggested that woman should be homemakers while man are breadwinners, yet for thousands of years man dictate over woman in the Ancient Japan, China and Korea. The only exceptional was Wu Zetian, the only female emperor in the Chinese history. The situation is the same in middles east. Till today, women have to wear veil and are banned from driving in Arab, the supposedly more opened Islamic country. Perceptions are changing in many parts of the world today but the revolutionary force has yet to reach the Middle East countries like Afghanistan. There’s nothing wrong with Islamic teachings, people’s perception are wrong and outdated, thanks to the war that prolonged for nearly thirty years.

I don’t understand why according to Prophet Muhammed’s teaching (as it claims), when a woman looks at or talk to another man other than her family members, she is betraying her husband. What rubbish is that?! If such behavior is expected of a woman, then why is a man allowed to look at other woman? Isn’t he betraying his wife too? If these so call sage are not lustful, greedy idiots, why do they propose that a man can have many wives but a woman must remain faithful to her one and only husband for all her life.

I’ll never believe a single word from Confucian’s indoctrinate. 修身齐家治国平天下？RUBBISH! Don’t talk about how well they rule, look at how many scandals have you seen on prominent political figures like Clinton? And many more have divorced and remarried many times. Given numerous examples out there, it’s very possible to conclude that we don’t have to 修身and 齐家 to 治国，平天下.

So much for my penny of thoughts on equality. Now lets go back on the topic about our Olympic heroes. Their stories are living examples of damages from war. We see how prolonged wars have ruined Iraq and Afghanistan, the once most prosperous countries in the Middle East. (Iraq, known as Persia, was one of the richest countries along the ancient Silk Road) On today straits time, Us-led air strikes has again caused over 100 casualties and deaths of Afghanis civilians, mostly woman and children. What idiots! I hope your plan crash in the deserts. At this point in time, I really wish for world peace. Let the 3rd world countries revive on their own, interception will cause only more harm than good.

As for how Robina fare after her return to Afghanistan, I shall try to find out tonight.