and Bamia speeds
up a Ramallah
road in her
1600cc rally car,
dust billowing out
the back as she comes to an abrupt
stop. This young Palestinian
woman recently took part in the
first Palestinian rally car races
since 1967. The image of a
young Palestinian woman
competing in male-dominated
motor sports may be surprising
to some and Rand admits
that she comes up against
resistance from a variety of
fronts. However, this 25-year
old Ramallah resident - by
way of Lebanon, the United
Arab Emirates, Canada,
Jordan, Tunisia and Gaza -
rejects the idea that it is simply
because she is a Palestinian
woman that her public face as
a rally car driver has caused
controversy."You have to remember that
our mothers fought during
revolutionary struggles, so it's
not as though there have never
been Palestinian women in male-
dominated spheres," explained
Rand. "It's not so much that a
Palestinian woman is taking
part in this sport, rather that a
woman is taking part and beatingmen. I came in last in the first
event, as I only entered as a kind
of a demonstration and I just
beeped the horn and wanted to
participate...But, by the secondrace, I realized that it was
something I really enjoyed."Rand is new to the sport, but
since her first race last June, has
improved rapidly, showing real
talent for something that began
simply as a way of participating
in a historic Palestinian event."Initially racing was just another
event that I was volunteering
for. I didn't even really considerthe fact that I was a girl taking
part. Then it started to become
a competition between me and
some of the other guys driving."It is her innate competitive
spirit that drives this
impressive woman. That, and
the visibly powerful legacy of
her politically active mother,
who fully supports her in her
burgeoning racing career.
Although she is fortunate
to enjoy the support of her
family and friends, Rand does
have detractors. Some people
are uncomfortable with the
idea of a young woman
taking part in a clearly male-
dominated sport."Some people say that I should
sell my car; that I am a girl, but
when that happens I normally
react by pulling a stunt in front
of them to show that I am serious
and good at what I do," says
Rand. "I feel quite strongly
about this; it probably won't be a
professional career, but I do feel
committed as I really enjoy the
challenge."
I know
I will face many
challenges, but I
really want to reach
further than this. I
want to represent
Palestine abroad
and win for my
country
Stereotypes:Palestinian Sportswomen gingPalestinian women are not widely known for their sporting
prowess. However, a new breed of young women, who believe
that they are just as capable as men, are achieving success in
the sporting arena.
