Arabs may not be winning gold medals at the Olympics this year, but they are winning hearts. From occupied peoples, to refugees, to women, the Arabs had a better show of the normally under-represented than ever before. In a region that saw an especially tumultuous 2016, the games, we believe, present a glimmer of hope.
It's only been a few days since the Olympics took off, but here are 7 reasons why Rio 2016 has been epic for Arabs:
1. 18-year-old heroine Yusra Mardini won her first Olympic swimming race
Mardini swam to save 20 lives, so we're not surprised that she won the 100-meter butterfly heat. But we're extremely moved. The 18-year-old Syrian refugee is one of 10 athletes on # TeamRefugees to be competing in this years Olympic Games, and her backstory is extraordinary. A year ago, she was part of a group of refugees that took off on a boat from Turkey to Greece. The motor failed and he and her sister jumped into the open sea and swam for three hours to push the overcrowded boat to safety.
She didn't qualify for the semi-finals, but Mardini won the race to roaring cheers and an outpouring of congratulations on social media.
2. #TeamRefugees deserved a standing ovation, and got one
This was the first ever team to participate in the Olympics under no flag. Two of the remarkable athletes are Syrian.
3. Palestine had the largest team since it joined the Olympics in 1996
The team of 6 was not afraid to flaunt the traditions of a state that the majority of the world's countries refuse to recognize. Decked out in embroidered dresses and kaffiyeh scarves, the team was bursting with excitement as they waved the Palestinian flag at the opening event.
The Palestinian delegation had to overcome major setbacks to get to Rio de Janeiro. Upon departure, the team's gear was confiscated by Israeli authorities, sparking media uproar. The team was forced to purchase new equipment in Brazil.
4. Lebanon refused to share a bus with Israel's team
No matter what you think of the incident-- and it definitely wasn't a very popular move in the West--it definitely generated a much-needed debate about the normalization of ties between Lebanese and Israeli participants in international competitions.
Israel is considered an enemy state by Lebanon. It also maintains an illegal occupation in a fellow Arab state, Palestine, and has placed an illegal siege on the Gaza strip. Whereas some Western publications condemned the move, Lebanon and other supporters of Palestine's struggle have hailed the move as a show of anti-normalization with an Apartheid regime.
5. Nada Al Bedwawi, a UAE Olympian, led the delegation at the opening ceremony; she was the second female flag-bearer the country has had in 32 years
6. Saudi Arabia sent four athletes to compete in Rio; twice the number of the Olympic Games in 2012
The four sportswomen competing at this year's Rio 2016, two runners, a fencer and a judoka. The kingdom sent its first female Olympians to London in 2012.
7. The world's #1 female trap shooter is Lebanese
Lebanon's Ray Bassil, who ranks #1 in female trap shooting, arrived in Rio as the first-ever Arab participant in that Olympic category.