06:40 AM
04/24/24
04/24/24
July 13, 2008
Odd Disappearance of Afghanistan's Only Female Olympian.: Mehbooba Andyar's choice to compete in a head scarf and full-length, body-covering running suit could not spare her from Taliban taunts and threats. The Afghan middle-distance runner nonetheless trekked on and was on the verge of realizing her Olympic dream. But now Andyar — slated to be the only female Afghan athlete at the Beijing Games — has gone missing from her training site just weeks before the opening ceremonies.
This is odd- I mean, since she wasn't the first woman to compete for Afghanistan, I wouldn't think she'd have been killed or kidnapped by psycho fundies on principle- that barrier had been broken. Sounds like the poor girl was under a lot of fire from the crazies, though. And if she was seeking asylum, you'd think she'd have surfaced; she was already in Italy when she disappeared, bags and all. I'll never understand how whole nations can devolve into a majority of hateful crazy people.