Jewish-Muslim doubles trouble: skirting the issues at Wimbledon

Tensions in the Middle East reverberate even on the green grass of Wimbledon. When a Jew doubles up with a Muslim to take on all comers, the world must acknowledge that such cooperation is possible. Beneficial, even.
Shaha Pe'er, a strapping 20-year-old Israeli pro with a big backhand is set to play ball with her new partner, Sania Mirza, a Muslim from Hyderabad in Southern India.

Controversy is nothing new to feisty Sania Mirza, also 20. For years, she has been criticized for "playing half-naked" on the court in skimpy clothes that leave "nothing to the imagination".
She's had to overcome traditional attitudes about women's comportment in South Asia. Inside India and Pakistan, female tennis players used to compete on hardcourts finished with dried cowdung, clad in the traditional baggy pants and tunic, Shalwar Kameez. But Mirza is a pro athlete with a strategy for victory. And partnering with the higher-ranked Pe'er (pictured here) is a clever move.

Mirza (above) and Pe'er now are seeded 16th in the grass court championship, and prefer to concentrate on winning tactics rather than religion. Let's hope they advance in the tournament with nothing to worry about other than their opponents.

According to a wire story from Reuters,

The last time Mirza, a Muslim, joined forces with Pe'er at the 2005 Japan Open, their association was short-lived.
Under pressure from militants furious over a Muslim and a Jew playing together, Mirza called for some time out.
She hopes their second stab at success will be remembered more for their on-court exploits.
"We've grown up together. We're great friends. So we said, why not?" said Mirza, who comes from the southern Indian city of Hyderabad.

The other Israeli woman player at Wimbledon is Anna Smashnova, a determined little baseliner whose family immigrated from Belarus. Her wonderfully apt surname, Smashnova, is more remarked upon than her citizenship. But the 30-year-old did not quite live up to her name this year: she was routed 6-0, 6-0 in the first round by a German powerhouse player, Martina Mueller.

Own Goals: can football unite the Israelis?

As the Barmy Army of English football fans descends on Tel Aviv's Sportek for the Euro 2008 qualifier this Saturday, sportsmanlike conduct comes under scrutiny on and off the pitch. Racist chants definitely will be monitored.
Die-hard Israeli footy fans were hoping that the general strike might prevent the Brits from landing at the airport, making an extra 5000 tickets magically available. And some newly arrived British Jews still agonize over which side to support in such a momentous match. Is dual allegiance possible? Even after making the total commitment of Aliyah, by moving from the farflung Diaspora to start over in the Jewish homeland, these guys fear flunking the old Thatcherite Norman Tebbit test about loyalty to an adopted country.
Going beyond the standard sports mania and navel-gazing, the Independent's correspondent, Don Macintyre, takes another angle altogether. He examines the loyalties of the 1.4 million Arab-Israelis, of which only two (including the veteran player Walid Badir, pictured above) will play for their nation tomorrow night. Click here to read his thought-provoking piece.