FiFA To Test Hijabs For Female Muslim Players

By Omar Sacirbey
Religion News Service

(RNS) Muslim female soccer players are celebrating a decision by the International Football Association Board to allow them to test specially designed head coverings for four months.

Soccer's international governing body, known as FIFA, has prohibited headscarves since 2007, citing safety concerns. The new headscarves will be fastened with Velcro rather than pins.

The headscarf prohibition has generated controversy among fans of the world's most popular team sport, especially in Muslim countries in Africa, the Middle East and central Asia.

Iran's women's soccer team was banned from this summer's 2012 Olympic Games in London after players appeared with headscarves before a match against Jordan last year. Later, Jordan's Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein, who is also vice president of FIFA, started pushing to lift the ban.

In Canada, Quebec's Lac St. Louis Regional Soccer Association barred a referee from a game in 2011 because she wore a headscarf, citing prohibitions against religious symbols on uniforms. During a 2007 youth tournament in Quebec, a Muslim player was ejected from a game for wearing a headscarf.

While banned in international soccer, headscarves have been permitted and worn without incident in other competitive sports. Several women competed with headscarves in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, including Bahrain's Roqaya Al-Gassra, who reached the semifinals of the 200-meter sprint in Beijing.

Many Muslim female athletes wear typical sports clothing without worrying about Islamic dress codes, including Laila Ali, a retired professional boxer; Pakistani Olympic swimmers Kiran Khan and Rubab Raza; and Moroccan hurdler Nawal El Moutawakel, who became the first Muslim woman to win an Olympic gold medal, in Los Angeles in 1984.

Comments

[Robert SF]

08:43 PM on 03/13/2012

Hijabs should not be allowed because they represent oppression. Accepting them is to accommodate that oppression. Imagine if a country didn't allow black people to compete in sports unless they wore white-face make up. Would we make accommodations for that? Well, this is the same thing.

[Vlad Roudenko]

11:38 AM on 03/14/2012

Don't you see that banning the wearing of hijab actually takes away the woman's choice to wear it? That in and of itself is oppression, even if you choose to believe otherwise.

[Ahmed Ahmad]

01:13 PM on 03/10/2012

If the intent is to make women less attractive to men, why not just paint their faces with ugly makeup? It's that easy.

[tabassum]

08:11 AM on 03/10/2012

allah and aur prophet never say a women to play game he said women should never come in front of any male who is not her blood related

[canterburytales]

07:56 AM on 03/13/2012

Please don't make up stuff. Muslim men and women are actually commanded to be active members of the society, and seek knowledge. In fact, during the prophet's time, many muslims women, including his wife, Aisha, took active part in the military, rode horses, were brilliant swordsman, and what have you. His wife, Khadija, was an entrepreneur and a leading business(wo)man. Islam does place a great deal of emphasis on the etiquette you should follow when dealing with a person of the opposite gender. There is also great emphasis placed on the sanctity of marriage and family.

[butair]

02:38 PM on 03/20/2012

Rightly said. The sharia does not disallow a woman to come in the presence of other men. There are conditions placed on both men AND women. Men are to keep their gaze down in the presence of women. Women are not to make them sexually attractive. You are right in how there are "examples" in our history of women who led armies, governments, were active in business, etc. I see us demonize Islam more then the non-Muslims. Statements like tabassum are more hurtful to Islam than anything the non-Muslims would say. We do not understand our own faith and try to override what the intent of the Sunnah and the Quran was and is.

Thank you for your comment.

[Jelle NL]

02:30 AM on 03/09/2012

In a totalitarian state like the Islamic Republic of Iran, the concept of hijab as a “personal choice” does not exist.

[jbarelli]

11:56 AM on 03/09/2012

True. In that case, the question is "do we add one more obstacle to the women in countries like Iran?"

Because that is the choice FiFA faced. Allow the Hijab, or the women cannot compete.

In most Muslim countries and in all non-Muslim countries, the question is "may a woman choose to wear the Hijab?" I'm opposed to telling Muslim women that they may not.

You're correct in saying that in countries like Iran, women are told how they may dress. We consider those countries to be repressive. Let's not emulate them, and let's not add to the burden of the women in those countries.

[Jelle NL]

01:34 PM on 03/09/2012

Yes FIFA should erect a Wall of Separation between Mosque and Stadium. Safety and equality (unfair advantage) are the only criteria here.

[Spock]

07:58 PM on 03/08/2012

The hijab is a religious garment. It should have no place on the field.

[canterburytales]

07:47 AM on 03/13/2012

why not?

[Robert SF]

08:45 PM on 03/13/2012

For the same reason we don't play ball games inside mosques.

[canterburytales]

07:58 AM on 03/13/2012

why not?!

[Raymond Soltysek]

01:32 PM on 03/08/2012

Good idea! Have fun, ladies!

[Charlotte Bonnie]

07:50 AM on 03/08/2012

Well good idea! I assume it would get really itchy under those traditional scarves after sweating,eww! If they ban the headscarves completely then these women won't be able to participate in sports and they should play sports for the sake of achieving some equality. Sure we don't want them to sit in their homes because men didn't allow them to play without a headscarf.

[SueZbell]

01:06 AM on 03/08/2012

Perhaps we should be glad the women for whom these are being tested are ambitious enough to "want" something for themselves--want to get out of the house--want play a game popular world wide.

Perhaps we should be glad their male 'owners' are (hopefully) permitting them to play--even if they are (required?) to wear odd uniforms. Hopefully--for safty sake-- they'll get rid of anything dangling like a scarf and stay w/something more like a helment..

On the other hand......... put a little padding on the headgear and it could be healthier/safer than w/o (for head-butting the ball) --except in hot weather-- can you say heat stroke?

I note the pants (instead of a skirt)--no worse than football players' uniforms in August.

YOU GO GIRLS.

[formerLAresident]

09:42 PM on 03/07/2012

Gracious!
What's next..the burka or maybe covering of the eyes...
Why is sports being taken over by the religious?
Once again, women letting men control them, in the name of religion that they've been indoctrinated to believe is best for them....just like that idiot Governor in VA, who believes that a Tranvaginal...probe is best for women.

[loutrerouge]

09:34 PM on 03/07/2012

If this were right-wing Christians demanding female head coverings, probably three-quarters of you apologists for misogyny, sexual double-standards and superstition would not be here.

[SueZbell]

01:24 AM on 03/08/2012

I hope not; but wouldn't bet the farm your wrong.

[jbarelli]

05:35 PM on 03/08/2012

Did it ever occur to you that many of these women are Muslims, choose to be Muslims, and wear the hijab out of personal choice?

I'm happy to agree with you that no woman should ever be forced or coerced into wearing it. Unlike you, however, I'm not convinced that most of these women are not doing so out of personal choice, as an expression of their faith, that you deliberately insult by calling "superstition"..

And, I respect women enough to believe that it should be their choice. Not yours or mine.

Or, are you actually saying that only atheist women should get to choose what they wear?

[loutrerouge]

09:24 PM on 03/08/2012

What sort of "choice" is it when you have social ostracisation and threats of damnation being used to condition one's mind.

Thinking a deity requires some sort of outfit is superstition, full stop.

I am a woman by the way.

[Jelle NL]

02:21 AM on 03/09/2012

Hijab a personal choice? Well ... not in the Iranian soccer team.

[fredaskribent]

06:27 PM on 03/07/2012

There's no reason not to allow women to wear hijab in sports. There are some very cool sports hijab now. And Alhamdulillah for velcro! :)

I hope we will one day just get past this constant struggling with a little bit of cloth someone wears on their head.

If we aren't going to ban cowboy hats (and Allah knows they are the tackiest hats on earth) or the critters everyone had on their heads all winter :D (even though people with a normally fine sense of style were wearing them), then why are we making such a big deal about hijab.

I say: Ban the Cowboy hats!

Football helmets are viewed as sports gear and sports hijab deserve the same status, don't ya think? :)

[fredaskribent]

09:18 AM on 03/08/2012

Perhaps in Kabul blue burqas are about misogyny. I'm a woman wearing my hijab. Its part of my relationship with my Creator. My fear of men comes from women being harassed in the US (called terrorists, spit on, etc). Thats misogyny as is non-muslims telling Muslim women what they shouldn't wear (non-muslims feeling entitled to decide what a Muslimah should wear).

Baseball caps would have been a better analogy than football helmets. Also I'm referring to >>sports

[AllegroTroppo]

11:30 AM on 03/07/2012

Too bad Monty Python is longer around.

[AllegroTroppo]

11:29 AM on 03/07/2012

What's the next step?
From this it's but a small step to allowing Sikhs to wear their religiously mandated Kirpans.
Now THAT would make soccer a lot more fun!
Especially in tournament matches between Pakistan and India.

[fredaskribent]

06:41 PM on 03/07/2012

It is sometimes walking a thin line when it comes to freedom of religion, but last I knew hijab isn't a lethal weapon.

I know you were just joking around, but in these times, its really important to clarify that.

And to all my Sikhi brothers and sisters, I mean no disrespect regarding any of the 5K. Right now I have a kara (the Sikh bracelet). I am not Sikh, but I also bought a pendant of a kirpan when I was trying to let go of my fear over things and find courage to grow in faith and courage. I wonder if something on the idea of a pendant is the most acceptable solution for the controversies that have come up over the kirpan.

I really struggle with deciding whether the kirpan should be allowed. Maybe if they had the appearance but were not actually sharp as swords or whatever.

Thanks for letting me yap on and on. :)

[AllegroTroppo]

12:41 AM on 03/08/2012

Of course I was joking.
But my spouse is a Singh ( not a joke) perhaps that's why kirpan came to mind.

[canterburytales]

08:02 AM on 03/13/2012

yeah, why not!

[Jelle NL]

08:20 AM on 03/07/2012

Is this really about hijab or soccer? From a distance it resembles clerics and alpha-males.

[fredaskribent]

06:42 PM on 03/07/2012

I think you have 20/20 vision.

[JoyC124]

02:00 AM on 03/07/2012

They might as well have a tee shirt made that reads ..I am property... because that is what the covering represents.

[SaraBrally]

04:30 AM on 03/07/2012

Uh, except not.

[Day 7]

04:42 PM on 03/07/2012

In a world where nudity represent I-am-not-a-property, sure.

[SueZbell]

01:17 AM on 03/08/2012

I am not pro religion, nor am I a soccer fan, but....

As long as its the individual woman's choice what she wears and the "uniform" can be made reasonably compatible (colors) w/the other uniforms and, most importantly, as long as there is no safety issue, why is there any argument?

I prefer to see most of the torso on men and women covered in public places (except at the beach) but w/i bounds of reason, its none of my business what others decide for themselves what to wear.

If the women who would be wearing these "uniforms" could not play w/o them-- and as long as they are required of the entire team and/or are not subsequently imposed on others because of any disadvantage-- give the women a chance to play.

[SueZbell]

01:25 AM on 03/08/2012

Meant to say as long as they are NOT required of entire team--allowed but not required.