Arab Israeli coed marathon canceled after threats
The struggle to hold a coed marathon in Tira exposed the clash in Arab Israeli society between increasing liberalization and traditional religiosity.
In mid-May, Hanin Radi, a runner and a mother of four from the Arab Israeli town of Tira, had her lifelong dream of holding a coed marathon in her town shattered. The race was called off after unidentified persons fired shots at her car, conveying a clear message to her and the group of runners she had organized: Women running in shorts through the streets of an Arab town are crossing the line for the conservative religious population.
It exposed the chasm in Arab Israeli society. While there is a process of liberalization, mainly among young Arab adults who express an ardent desire to live their life as they would in any other Western country or a liberal Arab state, there's also a growing traditional religiosity among large segments of the Arab community.
