The story features the West Bank's all-women Speed Sisters motor sport team Betty Saadeh, Noor Daoud and Maysoon Jayyus. But these are no ordinary Palestinian women, look at what they've achieved:
Ruth Pollard explained that Saadeh is Mexican born. The 31-year-old divorced mother of two was born into racing royalty. Her father Julio Saadeh was a champion race car driver in Mexico in the 1980s and her 33-year-old brother George took out autocross honours in 2009 in Palestine. She studied international relations at university and works in the Mexican government's representative office in Ramallah.
Furthermore, Noor Daoud and their manager and former competitor Maysoon Jayyusi recently returned from a weeklong training trip to London. There they raced at Silverstone, the spiritual home of British motor sports, under the watchful eye of Helen Elstropo, a former British champion. Daoud won in the women's category at Israel's formula-three competition held in the Red Sea resort town Eilat last month.
The article explained that she is the first Palestinian, male or female, to participate in and win an Israeli car race. And it is only because she has an East Jerusalem ID card that she is allowed to race in Israel, unlike her other teammates. Moreover in the US she studied criminal justice and sport at the International Performance Institute in Miami. (www.smh.com.au)
Winners in all societies get rewarded
Winners in all societies get rewarded, explained Mark Tronson, the chairman of Well-Being Australia. He suggests we look at our own sportsmen including the Australian motor racing fraternity.
Moreover Khaled Qaddoura the president of the Palestinian Motor Sport and Motorcycle Federation says there is a political element in all this: "When any Palestinian is successful on the world stage, it helps our main cause - a fully recognised Palestinian state, with Jerusalem as its capital, on 1967 borders."
Indeed winners are grinners, for as Qaddoura, who is nonplussed by having a team of glamorous, talented Palestinian women moving up the rankings in his sport, says: ''I have no problem with it - they love to race and they are good at it. We are proud to have them." Moreover, Palestine is a full member of the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile.
Ruth Pollard concludes her article that one of Qaddoura's colleague noted dryly: ''In Saudi Arabia, women are prevented from driving - here in Palestine we have women who drive race cars.''
Mark Tronson notes that these young women from the West Bank clearly represent a very different socio economic set to those without family connections in the world of motor sport and for that matter, they have political "capital clout".
Is it any different in Australia?
But Mark Tronson asks, is it any different in Australia? How often do we see sons' and daughters' following in their father's footsteps or have sponsors who recognise a potential and a get-up-and-go mentality and support their cause. It might be in the stock market, education, business, religion, entertainment, music, sport … whatever.
Is Australia, where no one blinks an eye at this, as it is is part and parcel of the national fabric of commerce and industry and family orientation and history.
What is news worthy and what turns heads? What these motor racing women are described as is very different to the normal presentation by the media of women wearing all black garb, heads covered, and women's rights being neglected. What we get presented are women who are under the thumbs of men, cowered by their Imams to keep their, "women-in-line" - whereas this all women's motor racing image is in complete contrast.
Mark Tronson says it is a political and propaganda message that every nation is in some measure involved. The image we get from the West Bank is a religious and political ideology that is centred on restriction. On the other hand an Australian imagery is presented with social, legal and economic freedoms, moreover at the opposite end of the spectrum. At the same time Australia is presented with a constant flow of refugees who risk everything, including life and limb, to get to Australia.
One political and propaganda message it appears, from the Palestinian women's motor racing team, is that women are free to engage in the world around them - at least if you have money, connections and you're very good at it (in this case driving fast motor cars).
Truth and Propaganda are very different
Neither of these images are fully true. Australia has an ever increasing number of draconian laws for almost everything we do (all claiming to protect us) and red tape that is near impossible to find a way through (claiming to bring everyone on a level footing) and a legal system for everyone (but which in reality is for the rich and powerful).
Similarly this cited article on the all-women Palestinian motor racing team brings a very different reality to our attention. It's far from the norm.
A true reality
The Scriptures however reveal something quite different, they present a true reality of life without the propaganda. The Bible spells out in real time: - murder, deceit, theft, adultery, personality conflicts, horrific family arguments, mission people refusing to work with other mission personnel, and the list goes on and on.
The human condition is spelt out clearly and without anything being swept under the carpet. Moreover a way forward is presented in the person of Jesus Christ. We will soon be reminded at Easter that Jesus on Calvary took the sin of the world upon himself, followed three days later by His resurrection. This frames all reality.
Dr Mark Tronson is a Baptist minister (retired) who served as the Australian cricket team chaplain for 17 years (2000 ret) and established Life After Cricket in 2001. He was recognised by the Olympic Ministry Medal in 2009 presented by Carl Lewis Olympian of the Century. He has written 24 books, and enjoys writing. He is married to Delma, with four adult children and grand-children.
Mark Tronson's archive of articles can be viewed at www.pressserviceinternational.org/mark-tronson.html
