Woman Opens Bowling Alley in Afghanistan

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In Kabul, Afghanistan’s first bowling alley offers respite from war; window into challenges

( Muhammed Muheisen / Associated Press ) - In this Friday, Oct. 28, 2011 photo, Meena Rahmani, 26, owner of The Strikers, the country’s first bowling center, holds a bowling ball in Kabul, Afghanistan. In an Afghan capital scarred by years of war, a young Afghan woman has bet $1 million that the country could use a chance to have a bit of fun _ by bowling. Located just down the street from Kabul’s glitziest mall, Meena Rahmani opened Afghanistan’s first bowling

alley, offering a place where Afghan men, women and families can gather, relax, bowl a few games and not be burdened by the social, religious and cultural restrictions that govern daily life in the impoverished country.

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By Associated Press, Published: October 30

KABUL, Afghanistan — In an Afghan capital scarred by years of war, a young Afghan woman has bet $1 million that her countrymen could use a little fun.

Located just down the street from Kabul’s glitziest mall, is The Strikers, the country’s first bowling alley and owner Meena Rahmani’s gamble on the capital’s newest entertainment venue. But more than a place for family fun in a city largely devoid of options, the 12-lane center stands as a reflection of both the country’s hope for the

future and the challenge of securing one even as NATO’s fight against the Taliban enters its 11th year.

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“We can never compare a bowling center ... in Afghanistan and one ... in the West,†said Rahmani. “Afghanistan needed a place like this.â€Aside from the cultural significance of such a center in a country largely lacking entertainment choices, building the bowling alley was a massive undertaking. All the equipment is imported, the engineers came from China and the alley is powered by several industrial-sized generators. The entrance to the alley sits behind blast-resistant steel doors guarded by burly men toting AK-47 assault rifles. “This was a huge project,†said Rahmani, but “we were committed to it.â€Rahmani

has gambled $1 million of her own money — secured from the sale of family land — that the center will not only help bored Afghans kill a few hours, but also a place where men, women and families can gather and

relax, not burdened by the social, religious and cultural restrictions that govern daily life in the impoverished country.Inside, several dozen Afghans, most of whom learned to bowl abroad, seem to agree. In the month since it opened, The Strikers has become a hit.

“Here, on our days off, we walk aimlessly in the streets,†said Navid Sediqi, a 29-year-old businessman. He said he used to begin his weekend by logging onto Facebook and chatting with his friends online. After Friday prayers, they would go to picnic areas or parks, and sit and chat. “This is so much better. Finally, a bit of excitement on our days off,†he said dressed in a pressed, white traditional shalwar kameez.For most people in this city of about 5 million, there were, for years, few options to while away the hours.There

are kite fights, picnics or paddle-boat rides on a lake on Kabul’s outskirts, as well as football games on dirt pitches that ring Darulaman

Palace, the bombed-out seat of former Afghan kings. Some rusty amusement rides have been set up for children, including in a graveyard.Snooker

clubs also have sprouted up around Kabul, but they are largely seen as attracting unsavory characters — people who Sediqi described as “not the

kind of open-minded people†one would find at the bowling alley.Like

most everything else in Afghanistan, the alley is a study in contrasts and challenges, not the least of which is that it’s a business started by a young woman in a country where women have traditionally been pushed

firmly to the sidelines.Rahmani, who left Afghanistan in 1992 and spent 15 years in Pakistan with her parents before moving to Canada for graduate studies, said the idea came to her when she visited her home country several years ago and found there was nothing for Afghans to do beyond occasionally going out to eat, going for walks or visiting family.

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