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| Britain |
| Hijab ban red-cards Muslim team |
| 2007-06-24 |
| Scotland's first female Muslim football team has been prevented from playing competitive matches after soccer chiefs imposed a worldwide ban on wearing religious headdress during games. Ansar Women's FC, from the east end of Glasgow, were looking forward to their first league games this summer, until it became clear they could not play while wearing their hijab headscarves. The garments are among those recently banned on safety grounds by international football authorities after a referee in Canada sent off an 11-year-old girl earlier this year after she refused to remove her hijab. The impact of the ruling on Ansar FC has sparked a backlash from the Asian community in Scotland, with actor and TV presenter Atta Yaqub leading calls for the ban to be overturned. The decision was taken by the International Football Association Board (IFAB), the game's ultimate decision-making body, and part of FIFA. Law 4 of the sport's regulations restricts a player's kit to a shirt or jersey, shorts, socks and footwear. Zuby Malik, a Glasgow-based sports worker and coach of the team, said it appeared to end hopes of Ansar Women's FC being admitted to the Scottish Women's Football Association league. Malik said: "It is ridiculous that I will have to tell the girls that they won't be able to join the league because of this nonsensical ruling. The majority of the girls in our team wear the hijab and it is completely unfair to ask people to choose between their faith and sport. Quite rightly their religion will always come first." The 27-year-old coach said there was no justification for banning headscarves and turbans. "There appears to be no logic at all behind this ruling. I don't see how anyone could be injured through wearing a hijab or a turban or how it affects their game in any way." Malik added: "This is going to throw up all sorts of difficulties for Asian players throughout Scotland and across the world. It will have massive consequences." Atta Yaqub, who starred in the acclaimed Ken Loach film Ae Fond Kiss, was outraged by the ruling. The actor was a founder member of Glasgow Asian soccer team Ansar FC and is an active supporter of Muslim women's football. "It is appalling that people can be effectively banned from playing competitive football for observing their religion. Sport should be about promoting tolerance and understanding and this seems to fly in the face of this. Myself and many others have been trying to build bridges and get youngsters from ethnic minority backgrounds involved in sport." The Scottish Women's Football Association sympathised with Muslim youngsters but said its hands were tied. "If we were given flexibility on this issue we would be delighted to use it, but we are bound by FIFA's rules and regulations and must adhere to them." Brian Barwick, chief executive of the English FA and a board member of IFAB, insisted the decision was the right one. "It's absolutely right to be sensitive to people's thoughts and philosophies, but equally there has to be a set of laws that are adhered to, and we favour Law 4 being adhered to." I think the photo with this article would be a worthy addition to the Rantburg image archives. |
| Posted by:ryuge |
| #9 When I play foot ball, my faith (in Brutal Deluxism) requires me to wear religious costume such as this. http://www.speedball2.com/ |
| Posted by: Bright Pebbles 2007-06-24 22:49 |
| #8 a backlash from the Asian community in Scotland, You mean there's a Chinatown in Glascow ? Ohhhh, you mean the shitbag Paks ? Since when are they Asian ? They are just modified Arab knuckle draggers. Let's be clear exactly who we're talking about. |
| Posted by: Woozle Elmeter2970 2007-06-24 20:40 |
| #7 But what about building bridges ? Isn't it time to reach out ? If we had a friendly dialog on 9/10, this would be a better world. [/snark] |
| Posted by: wxjames 2007-06-24 19:03 |
| #6 Fine, I'll modify to how if we allow the hijab they'll want the niqab next and then my position still pertains. As you noted, those who don't like the rules can piss off. The high esteem Muslims have for Islam's ridiculous imperatives in no way mandates that other organizations must alter their rules to suit such outrageous whims. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2007-06-24 17:38 |
| #5 I ain't Football if you don't use your hands, dammit! |
| Posted by: Frank G 2007-06-24 17:36 |
| #4 It's the niqab, the face veil, that hides the appearance, Zenster. The hijab only covers the hair so that no deadly hair rays escape to seduce male passers by. ;-) Otherwise spot on, though. The rules are for all, and if one chooses religious observance, then one must forgo the experience... or set up one's own league. Hence the small number of orthodox Jews playing sports in leagues that have games on Saturdays. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2007-06-24 17:25 |
| #3 interesting not Glenmore. If I was an opposing team's coach, I'd say any player allowed to wear a head garment would have an unfair advantage... |
| Posted by: Broadhead6 2007-06-24 17:17 |
| #2 When I played soccer I didn't like heading the ball because if I didn't do it right (which was most of the time) it gave me a headache. Now, if I could have worn a piece of padded armor on my head and called it a religious requirement, I might have been good enough to start. |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2007-06-24 16:26 |
| #1 "It is ridiculous that I will have to tell the girls that they won't be able to join the league because of this nonsensical ruling. The majority of the girls in our team wear the hijab and it is completely unfair to ask people to choose between their faith and sport. Quite rightly their religion will always come first." Horseshit. If your arbitrary and archaic shari'a law garbage is so damned precious, then exclude yourself from yet another activity and bit of fun. Just like how people giving testimony in court must remove any face covering, so should it be in sports. A team is composed of a limited number of specific players who must be present to participate. Good old Islamic taqiyya would allow Muslim competitors to substitute stringers disguised in hijab so that they could outscore other teams. Sadly, I doubt that the IFAB will ever show the courage to make the above philosophical connection, publicly at least. It is critical to begin clubbing Muslims over the head with how Islam grants them an unfair advantage at all times. Such an outright violation of ethics and morals must be rejected by civilized cultures and used as a lever to exclude non-integrating Muslims wherever possible. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2007-06-24 15:54 |