JAKARTA - The age of 12 is the turning point for Zahra Lari to pursue her dream of becoming a skating athlete. It was 2007, when Zayed Sports City was the only ice rink in Abu Dhabi. Today Zahra is successful. She glided and danced beautifully through the conservative boundaries of the United Arab Emirates. With a hijab on her head.
Zahra's interest in skating originated from the Disney film Ice Princess in 2005. At that time, Zahra expressed her wish and asked her father's permission to play ice skating.
Even though it went through extraordinary twists and turns, permission was finally granted. Zahra then went through practice after practice. Like a natural talent, within three years of training, Zahra immediately mastered the triple jump technique, which is synonymous with the movements of professional skaters.
As quoted by Al Arabiya, Friday, May 7, the average ice skating athlete has to train for ten years to master this technique. This is a privilege, considering that Zahra was counted late in starting his first training.
Whereas the other kids started at the age of three or four on average, Zahra started at the age of ten instead. Zahra realizes the keys to her success, namely strong determination and a thirst for new experiences.
The challenge is getting bigger
Zahra also set foot in international competitions, to be precise the 2012 European Cup in Canazei, Italy. Zahra's opponents there were not only competing athletes but also views of the hijab for beautiful skating athletes.
The use of the hijab in skating is considered dangerous. However Zahra did not back down. Zahra recorded two important histories in that event.
First, he is the first Middle Eastern athlete at international level. Second, of course, about her being the first figure skater to wear the hijab in an international competition.
However, despite these positive achievements, Zahra was also rewarded with a point deduction for her costume and hijab. This is interesting because in figure skating, costume-related points are deducted when an athlete's skirt is too short or an accessory falls off.
"I'm not upset or angry. I just know, I have to do something so it doesn't happen to me or anyone else who wants to stay closed," said Zahra, quoted by Middle East Monitor.
"To make that happen, we have to meet with officials who want to see me skating in the hijab to make sure it's not dangerous," Zahra added.
After the incident at Canazei, Zahra appealed to the International Skating Union (ISU). In that appeal, Zahra campaigned for ISU to change the rules regarding the use of the hijab in the official arena.
"The head of ISU Development at the time asked to meet with me while I was in Hungary. He wanted to see the use of the headscarf, and understand how safe it is on ice," said Zahra.
Zahra's successZahra's efforts paid off. Quoted from CNN, the Nebelhorn Trophy Championship in Germany in September 2017 was a turning point. At that time, the committee asked that the hijab no longer be considered a violation of technical regulations.
"Without the hijab, I would not be Zahra Lari. The hijab is a part of me. The first time I competed wearing the hijab, I didn't really think about it. It made me different. I was young and focused on competition."
Zahra focuses on this issue. He even often expressed gratitude for the various developments in the world of sports regarding the use of the hijab for Muslim female athletes.
With the discrimination that has passed, Zahra is now crafting a dream at the Winter Olympics. Zahra said she wanted to see more Middle Eastern women participating in international sports events.
"I'm just trying to show the world, I'm closed, but I [still] can do what I love and do it at an international level," Zahra.
"So that's the main message I want to convey to women, don't let anything stop you from doing what you love, especially because you are closed off," she added.
The conservative culture of the United Arab Emirates
Although he managed to break through many discriminatory walls in his professional field, Zahra's toughest struggles also took place in the environment. Obviously, it is not easy for Zahra and her family who live in Abu Dhabi.
Fadhel, Zahra's father, opposed the child's decision. Zahra had limited himself. He didn't want to be too serious. Zahra missed a number of matches just so that his father would not be subjected to social pressure due to the sport he was in.
"As a family, we go to matches just to entertain my friends who compete," Zahra was quoted as saying by CNN.
Even with Fadhel. The reason he forbade Zahra was because he didn't want his son to be talked about. True, Fadhel was really worried. Zahra had experienced times when scathing comments attacked her on YouTube. "Haram" or "sin," netizens wrote.
This situation continued until Fadhel accompanied Zahra to support his friends who were participating in the competition. Fadhel saw Zahra's desire to be directly involved in this sport. Since then Fadhel has blessed Zahra.
"Dad was like, 'You know what? Forget what people say at work. Forget about whoever is talking.' He also said, 'I know it's something you love. We're not wrong. Then why not "Go and work hard," Zahra, mimicking Fadhel.
Zahra reciprocated the support with hard work. He trains six days a week. The exercises he started in the morning at 4.30 to 7.30. After practicing, Zahra underwent education, studying at the University of Abu Dhabi. There Zahra majored in Environmental Health and Safety.
"At 16:00 I returned to training for about an hour and a half. (Habit) is not difficult, I like it, and I want to be successful," Zahra was quoted as saying by Al Arabiya.
Zahra becomes a manifestation of how love can change many things. Yes, love between him and his family. The love between himself and Islam, to what is certain is his love for beautiful skating. And Zahra's decision years ago brought her to an important point today.
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