7/3/2004
By JULHAS ALAM The Associated Press
DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — Muslim fundamentalists promised to block Bangladesh's first women's wrestling competition, calling it anti-Islamic.
"Games such as wrestling are vulgar and indecent for Muslim women," Maulana Mohiuddin Khan, head of the Jamiatul Ulama Islami Bangladesh group, told The Associated Press on Saturday.
Khan said Bangladeshi Muslims "shall not allow our women to take part in such vulgarity."
The state-run Bangladesh Wrestling Federation said the competition will proceed Sunday despite planned demonstrations by three Islamic fundamentalist groups.
"We have ensured that the competitors will be decently dressed, and we don't see any reason to call it anti-Islamic," said Tabiur Rahman, general secretary of the federation.
On Friday, dozens of the hardline Islamic protesters marched through central Dhaka urging authorities to call off the competition, which is expected to draw dozens of women wrestlers from across Bangladesh.
Rahman said the wrestling federation has asked for extra security during the event.
Bangladeshi women regularly take part in sports such as volleyball, swimming, hockey and track and field.
Bangladesh, a predominantly Islamic nation of 140 million people, is governed by secular laws.
Credit: NJ
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