When Muslim Fathers Support Their Daughters: A Saudi Game-Changer's Story

What happens when a father hands his bullied daughter a pair of shiny red boxing gloves and says "learn to defend yourself"? In Saudi Arabia, where women's sports were once completely banned, two fathers dared to see strength in their daughters instead of fragility – and accidentally sparked a revolution. Dr. Daisy Khan's father gave her boxing gloves that became her armor for life, while guest Lina K. AlMaeena's journalist father risked his reputation to publish press releases about his daughter's underground basketball team. For 22 years, Lina built Jeddah United in the shadows, using a commercial license loophole to train women athletes when sports were considered immoral for girls. Then Vision 2030 arrived, and everything changed overnight – women's workforce participation jumped ahead of schedule, driving became legal, and a nation transformed. Here's the contradiction: while fathers privately encouraged their daughters to be athletes, society publicly condemned women's sports as forbidden – until 70% of the population under 25 demanded change. This episode reveals how two fathers' faith in their daughters helped reshape not just individual lives, but an entire kingdom's future.

This is Wise Women with Daisy Khan – because every woman's story matters.

Connect with Dr. Daisy Khan:

Website: daisykhan.com

LinkedIn: @drdaisykhan

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