FIFA bans hijab

Readers may have been following this story from Canada. A 12-year-old girl was not allowed to participate in a  football match last Sunday because she was wearing a headscarf. Asmahan Mansour's team mates walked off with her in solidarity.

The issue was discussed at FIFA's meeting in Manchester this week where the world's governing body upheld the decision. English FA chairman Brian Barwick said:

“If you play football, there's a set of laws and rules, and law 4 outlines the basic equipment ... 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.”

Here's the key passage in law 4:

A player must not use equipment or wear anything that is dangerous to himself or another player (including any kind of jewellery).

It hasn't been demonstrated that the hijab is a threat to the player or to others. I think that would take quite a bit of imagination. And a reading of law 4 says it outlines the "basic compulsory equipment of a player". It isn't clear from reading it that it is to the exclusion of anything else. Indeed players are regularly seen wearing caps and gloves which are not in law 4, so it's clear Barwick is talking nonsense on that point.

My feeling is that the decision has been rushed. Asmahan was only sent from the field last Sunday (after playing on Saturday in the tournament without sanction) and already FIFA have apparently sat and deliberated the issue on the back of that. It's hardly enough time for research to be done, papers to be submitted and the ramifications to be considered.

Before the usual suspects start to drone on about "integration of religious minorities" - football is a global game. FIFA's decision sends out a signal to Muslim women everywhere that wear the headscarf that their participation in the sport is not welcome.

Comments

[Random Guy]

Wow, this one had me floundering for words on initial reading. I would really like to know how the hijab is a threat to other players. Maybe they will be demoralised by the 'piety waves' radiating from it?

They will probably cite the danger of grabbing the hijab or something equally tenuous. Oh wait, that makes all garments a hazard!!!

On the message that this sends, I completely agree. Way to go for integration, eh? It is the same old story. Integration through exclusion will never work.

[Abdiel]

Salaams Osama,

I'm not sure how the UK or European media have handled the case, but the mantra here in Canada (on two of the main media outlets, anyway) has been that FIFA's Law 4 bans headgear, including hijab. That's a patently dishonest reading of the law, but persistent nonetheless. Jean Charest, the onetime federal Conservative leader, and now Quebec's provincial Liberal leader (only in Canada!), used the issue as a launching board on the hotbutton issue of "religious accomodation," knowing as he likely does that a fair number of Quebeccers either wouldn't care or would love him for it.

For crying out loud, it's just a girl trying to play a game!

--A

[Ted]

It's clearly a nonsense. I remember Dado Prso wearing a head bandage for weeks after cracking his skull against Aberdeen - it seemed to give him mystical powers, in fact, and he scored a couple of goals against Celtic whilst wearing it. So, if you can cover your heid in a bandage, you can cover your heid in a scarf and that's a fact and no FIFA mandarin can dispute that.

The only caveat I would add is that she is a girl and she shouldn't be playing football, in that case. Sorry, ladies. You can make the tea if that makes you feel better.

[Shazia]

Perhaps FIFA ould authorise the sports hijab

http://www.thehijabshop.co.uk/capsters/index.php

[Shazia]

Photograph of the Iran Women's National soccer team.

http://www.iran-daily.com/1384/2391/html/sports.htm

In an era when child obesity is increasing, FIFA should not be placing obstacles in the path of those who make the effort to get up off the sofa and play a sport.

[abusinan]

Interesting that people are so worried about the Hijab as being a tool of oppression when it often seems they are more oppressed for choosing to wear it than they are for NOT wearing it.

So much for the women's rights supporters. Where are their voices now?

[joe90]

How come Ronaldinho, of the great Barcelona FC, gets to wear a scarf tonight then, against Liverpool?

Tuesday's football photos
fom the BBC - no photos of Ronaldinho on it at the mo!

Live - Champions League
from the BBC

[Mohammad]

I've written on this on this story on the linked to blog...amazingly, some of the best comments about the ridiculousness of the ruling come from Azzy's own teammates.

[Jason T]

Football, nationalism and colonialism
More here:
http://www.iranian.com/Opinion/2006/August/Football/index.html

[orion]

It clearly states no headgear in the rules of Fifa and they have to abide by them, making exceptions for one would be having to make exceptions for all. It is nothing against the religion it is just the laws of the game.

[Anisah]

I think it is ridiculous that she can't wear hijab and play a sport. I am glad that her team backed her on that, and didn't just let her go so they could play. Many Muslim girls are taught that they shouldn't play sports, so I hope she can get back to playing.

Anisah