Nadine Hamed was two-years-old when her parents divorced. Her mother married at an early age, but after separating from her husband she began her academic studies and joined the workforce. Today, Umayma Hamed is a successful attorney. Refusing to bow down to local prejudices, her daughter also decided to choose her own path and became Israel's
first female Arab sportscaster.
As a Muslim student at the film department of a school for Franciscan nuns, Nadine, 21, made a 10-minute movie about her personal journey.
The project, which was part of Nadine's matriculation exam, received a perfect score. Her professor suggested that she submit it to the Jerusalem Film Festival, where it was awarded top honors in the short documentary category.
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After earning her bachelor's degree in film and communications from The Max Stern Academic College of Emek Yezreel, Nadine, who was born in Nazareth, filled a number of positions in Israeli television until she decided to focus on sports. Law school, her next goal, will have to wait for the time being.
"I heard of the auditions (for the sportscaster position) and said to myself, 'I can be the first Arab woman in (Israeli) sports television'. It's part of my character – to pursue things that are out of the ordinary," she told Yedioth Ahronoth.
Nadine got the job after beating out 10 other female candidates, and now appears weekly on the Arab show "Sports at Five", which covers sports events in Israel, the Palestinian Authority and the Arab world in general.
"I try to emulate Oprah Winfrey," Nadine said, "I really like her charisma."
To her surprise, Nadine has yet to receive any negative reactions. "Sometimes people see me, a modern woman, and are surprised to learn that I'm an Arab. As if it should be stamped on my forehead. They think I'm Christian, and are shocked when I tell them I'm Muslim. It stems from people's ignorance," she said.
"It's unavoidable; global media bombard us with images portraying Muslims as terrorists with beards and galabiyas (traditional Arabic garment). If someone is Muslim, does it mean that he's primitive? The world is evolving, and it's shame that some people remain in a bubble," said the sportscaster.
"People tend to generalize – 'those Arabs, those Moroccans' - this drives me mad. The fact that there is a reporter for 'Arab affairs' also sounds crazy to me."
According to Hamed, there is not enough openness between Jews and Arabs. "It's not enough to eat Hummus in Nazareth or issue a report presenting the Arab community as weak as a means of showing that there is some communication between the sectors. Perhaps broader coverage of joint projects could help change the Jewish citizens' perception (of the Arab sector). If all Jews learn to speak Arabic we will see an improvement in many aspects," she said.
Despite her liberal outlook, Nadine said she will only marry a Muslim. "Everyone has family, a certain background. I won't allow myself to get into a relationship with someone of a different religion or ethnicity. I am not opposed to mixed marriages, but personally I want my partner to speak Arabic and have a background that is similar to mine," she said. "I am traditional; I fast during Ramadan and celebrate the (Muslim) holidays, but I'm not religious."
Nadine said she would have no problem covering a soccer game held at Jerusalem's "Teddy Stadium", the home of Beitar Jerusalem, a team affiliated with Israel's Right. Some of Beitar's supporters are vehemently opposed to the signing of an Arab player.
"I'll gladly attend a Beitar game. There will always be people who are racist. A small portion of the crowd causes the ruckus, but the media chooses to emphasize it," she said.
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