A Soccer Ball, a Burqa, and Rocks

As I waited to be let inside a friend’s house, a group of boys were playing soccer in the street. I watched as a boy kicked the ball past his teammate, rolling it into the burqa-draped legs of a woman walking by. It wasn’t a hard kick, and could not have hurt the woman at all—the ball merely bumped into her legs! That fact didn’t deter her as she whirled around, grabbed a handful of good-sized rocks, and launched them at the boys. Verbal insults flew as did the boys, who were scattering in all directions and ducking for cover. I stood by in mute amazement, watching the entire scenario play out in front of me. So much for common social graces!