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| Great White North |
| Quebec: Martial arts teams protest another hijab ban |
| 2007-04-16 |
| A Tae Kwon Do team of mainly Muslim girls withdrew from a tournament after they were barred from taking part with their hijabs, another example of the ongoing debate in Quebec about accommodating religious minorities. “The equipment that is allowed under the world Tae Kwon Do federation rules doesn't include the hijab,” international referee Stephane Menard said Sunday. Mr. Menard said he was at the referees' meeting in Longueuil, just south of Montreal, earlier Sunday when the decision was made for safety reasons. I help at Tae Kwon Do tournaments when Mr. Wife and the trailing daughters officiate. I quite agree that wearing a hijab under the padded head thingy is a safety hazard. The team, made up of girls between eight and 12 years old, is affiliated with a Muslim community centre in Montreal. Five of its six girls wear the head covering under their safety helmets. Why are little girls wearing hijabs anyway? That's only supposed to be for older girls. It's the second time in recent months the hijab has caused controversy at an amateur sporting event in Quebec involving pre-teens. In February, an 11-year-old Muslim girl from Ottawa was asked to remove her hijab at a soccer tournament in Laval, north of Montreal, due to safety concerns. She refused and her team pulled out of the tournament. A Montreal Muslim woman recently complained that she was forced to chose between her hijab and a job as a prison guard. Authorities also cited safety concerns in that case. It sounds like the wind is blowing in a different direction in French Canada. Good for them! |
| Posted by:trailing wife |