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Karachi, Pakistan – Sughra Rajab, 19, and Shamsia Ali, 21, were just two of the young footballers who represented the Hazara Quetta team at the Women’s National Football Championship in March this year.
The couple traveled hundreds of kilometers from Quetta, in the southwestern province of Balochistan, to the south coast of Karachi.
For Ali, coming to Karachi and playing at that level was a “dream come true”.
Rajab, meanwhile, called it “a chance at life,” adding that “the exposure here is amazing and I really like it.”
It seemed to me that playing the sport they love the most without fear or worry off the field is welcome not only for the couple but for the whole team.
The girls are from the Hazara minority community in Pakistan. Most Hazaras live in Quetta, the capital of Pakistan’s largest but poorest province. The Hazaras have long been persecuted for assault and bombing.
Since 2005, nearly 2,000 hazar have been killed as a result of long-standing sectarian violence against the community, according to a 2018 report released by the Pakistan National Human Rights Commission.
Between sectarianism, violence and fear, football has become a beacon of hope for the community, especially girls.
Wearing black scarves and shorts with black pants under the scorching sun makes them uneasy, and the memory of their lives in the village of Hazara in Quetta continues to be tinged with their set of discomfort and trauma.
“We try to move forward in our daily habits, visiting friends and family, doing sports,” Rajab said. “But when the security situation is bad, we stay at home. Security is our biggest concern. “
Given safety concerns, traveling to Karachi for the tournament was not an easy decision for the players or their families.
“I lost an uncle two years ago in targeted attacks. Mentally, I feel very upset all the time, ”Rajab said.
It was also a struggle for Ali to convince his family.
“My father said if the men in our community can’t be safe, how can we expect women to be safe,” Ali said.
It was Saba It, the team’s coach, who managed to convince his parents after eleven months of consultation and advice.
“Our community is a victim of constant harassment and murder. I had to start planning and convincing families a year before the tournament started, ”said Sababa, a former footballer who represented Balochistan.
He added that the targeted killings have deprived Hazaras of many of the opportunities offered by a safe environment.
“Trauma and fear are so prevalent in everything we do, they are rooted in every decision we make in our lives,” he said.
Delays
In January this year, 11 coal miners from the Hazara community were kidnapped and killed in Machh (Balochistan) in an attack claimed by a group of ISIL (ISIS) fighters.
Community members staged a protest to demand justice. They insisted on not burying the dead until Prime Minister Imran Khan visited.
While Prime Minister Khan was initially blackmailing the petition, he stepped back and visited the family on January 9th.
After the attack, Saba hit a year-long struggle to convince her parents to let the girls travel.
“Convincing again was a big struggle once again. After the attack, some parents retreated. The girls called and cried all the time, ”she said.
It was initially Saba’s commitment to helping and empowering Haza’s women that prompted the young girls to spark an interest in football and then led them to form a team.
In 2017, she set up a handicraft and sewing workshop in Hazara Village, adapted to everyone, including the youngest Hazara women who have lost relatives in the attacks.
Seeing the colorful photos of the play days hanging in the workshop, the attendees became enthusiastic.
“We saw Saba’s picture as a footballer and he fascinated us,” Rajab said.
Initially, Saba took up informal football training. But that was not easy.
“We went out before dawn so no one would see our workout. We trained on the open field every week. At the time, we couldn’t get the right football. “
In one year, the ambitions increased. They wanted to form the right team, play regular football and represent their community on a professional level.
With these intentions, Saba asked the Hazara Football Academy for permission to use his land.
Scary setting
At first, they made fun of him. People questioned women’s participation in the sport. But sustainability paved the way when they were given approval.
“After constant requests, the academy gave us permission to use its land. We paid 15,000 Pakistani rupees [$98.5] he trained three times a month and a week, ”Saba said.
A 2018 Human Rights Watch report described the living conditions of the Hazara community in Quetta as a result of the violence and open prison. The horror environment has been introduced into every generation of the hazara experience.
Violence and attacks on Hazaras in Balochistan continue despite checkpoints and security throughout the province [Courtesy: Saba It]
Human rights activist and advocate Jalila Haider said for women specifically, “there is a double risk in society.”
“Initially they are marginalized because they are female. Marginalization is doubled because they belong to the Hazara community, ”Haider told Al Jazeera.
“The sexist problems of society and the fear cycles of the community further subjugate Hazara women. They are already in trauma because they have lost their uncle, brother or father. The lack of professional skills and liberation leaves them in a confused environment, immersed in violence, traumatized ”.
Saba and many of the girls in the group are also psychologically disrupted.
“Everyone in Hazara has had a bloodshed as a result of terrorism. Girls are always in a state of shock and worry, ”Saba said. “Some players would be constantly broken down. Sometimes it weakened the pressure. ”
Saba has a brave face as a coach but sometimes, as a human being, he would fall into depression out of fear.
“Sometimes, I don’t understand what to do. I took care of these young girls. “
“For the first two weeks, I cried a lot all night. There is a great fear of security. “
On her return to Quetta, Saba began counseling sessions for families to get out of the cover of fear and give the girls a chance to play.
The sessions were organized with the girls ’school principal and through a systematic approach, parents understood the important position football played in their daughter’s life, Saba said.
“I told them that these girls are upset and need to get out on the street. They need to play football and gain experience to feel better outside of confined spaces, ”Saba added.
Karatxin, Ali said the change in environment has boosted his confidence.
“I’m meeting people from outside, I’m learning from other players and my motivation for the game. Mind you, now I feel like I want to stand out more at every level in football, ”he said.
Ali Hunardost, 40, is the father of one of the team’s players. Unlike most families who wouldn’t let their daughters travel and play, Hunardost wanted to hit his daughter.
“People are afraid for their lives, but I think we shouldn’t live with that denial. Progress will only come if men and women are given equal opportunities,” said the father of five.
Hunardost’s 20-year-old daughter has been playing football for two years.
“He was very quiet at school, but because he was always good at sports, I encouraged him to start training for football. I want to help him with all his achievements. My other daughter does martial arts.”
Unexpected
Violence and attacks against Hazaras in Balochistan have continued despite the provision of security posts and security throughout the province. According to Haider, the situation remains unforeseen.
“We can’t predict if the situation will improve. Sometimes we feel calm because nothing has happened and suddenly something happens.
“Hazar must feel safe and investment in human capital is essential at all levels. We need empowerment and equal opportunities so that we can also contribute to the country’s economy,” Haider said.
Meanwhile, Ali and Rajab want to continue and play football at the international level.
“Everyone is ambitious, and so are we. I’m sure if we can be in Karachay after so many difficulties and lack of resources, imagine how we will prevail if things get easier. “
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