I had a friend who played soccer as a kid. She had had a bone condition that made it necessary for her legs to be broken and "straightened" with inserted braces--horribly awful experience for her and she had these really big scars and indentions on her legs. So,when she played soccer, she wore leggings/tights under her shorts and the coaches new that the scars embarrassed her and often made her self-conscious and not able to play as well as she could when she wasn't wearing the leggings/tights. They let her add this to her uniform. Now, this was an exception and shows that when logical and compassion is applied to individual cases, uniforms can be altered. For the young muslim girl, her hijab is an altered uniform. Uniforms are not etched in stone--they are cultural constructs. The fact that the coaches/team organizers would rather that a muslim girl WHOSE PARENTS ALLOW HER TO PLAY SOCCER would have it that she can't play at all if not in a conformed uniform demonstrates a sad and Bush-like understanding of what is "black and white." Isn't it better that she enjoy the health benefits and self-esteem benefits of playing team sports? Quite frankly, these recent moves toward pressing muslim immigrants to conform to Western women's dress is really a veiled Nativist stance, not a progressive or liberal movement (though progressives may be involved). Honor killings, FGM, and so forth are human rights issues and should be addressed in Western contexts--outlawed, punished, and proactively worked on--but conformity in dress is just another way to control women and girls.

Bright Blessings

We need to get this girl a sport hijab.

Just a correction: this was a ruling by the International Football Association Board (IFAB), the international committee that decides on the rules of football/soccer/whatever you call it, not a ruling of the Canadian national body (the Canadian Soccer Association). This will ultimately be binding on all games of football organised by national bodies, I think.

This isn't much of a good way to encourage women to play football in the very many countries where it's primarily a man's game.

The reason behind the ban was that according to national rules, a player is restricted to just a shirt or jersey, shorts, socks and kicks.

What, they don't allow them to wear underwear?

Why should this girl be given special privileges not accorded to other players? If they want to abolish the uniform requirement, that's one thing. But I've always thought that uniforms were supposed to be, well, uniform.

Just a correction: this was a ruling by the International Football Association Board (IFAB), the international committee that decides on the rules of football/soccer/whatever you call it, not a ruling of the Canadian national body (the Canadian Soccer Association). This will ultimately be binding on all games of football organised by national bodies, I think.

This isn't much of a good way to encourage women to play football in the very many countries where it's primarily a man's game.

I've played in recreational leagues, more competitive clubs, and intercollegiate club soccer and players have always added long sleeve shirts or leggings under their unigforms when it's cold. The only rule was that your outermost layer had to be the team uniform. If there's no safety reason for doing this (like if someone wore a really baggy shirt that another player could get a finger caught in, the same reason you're not allowed to wear jewelry) this sounds like clear discrimination.

Zvebab: IFAB also make the rules; they could easily have added a clause to allow a headscarf. This is essentially preventing a fair-sized section of society from playing football, apparently for no good reason.

What a bunch of childish and pedantic assholes. I can't stand it when people follow rules to the letter without bothering to stop and think about what would actually make sense.

This is off topic, but this story reminds me of a situation that happened in my elementary school. I was in the sixth grade, and a girl I knew had undergone brain surgery. They had to shave significant portions of her head, and she wore a bandana to school. This was before it was all hippy-chic to sport bandanas, and she was very embarrassed by it. So, in solidarity, many other girls decided to wear bandanas as well, so that she wouldn't be embarrassed.

The school's administration made everyone remove their bandanas because, according to the school's dress code, it was "gang affiliated clothing."

The Hamilton Spectator has talked to the young woman herself (it's a bit brief, though).

Continuing off topic, Jenny, can I just say that you and your classmates were the nicest, most supportive sixth-graders I've ever heard of? Your school administration sucked, but you guys were great.

Reminds me of the time a substitute teacher tried to get this kid to remove his hat in class. Except it wasn't a hat. It was his turban. As was completely obvious if you actually looked at him.

What a bunch of childish and pedantic assholes. I can't stand it when people follow rules to the letter without bothering to stop and think about what would actually make sense.

This is off topic, but this story reminds me of a situation that happened in my elementary school. I was in the sixth grade, and a girl I knew had undergone brain surgery. They had to shave significant portions of her head, and she wore a bandana to school. This was before it was all hippy-chic to sport bandanas, and she was very embarrassed by it. So, in solidarity, many other girls decided to wear bandanas as well, so that she wouldn't be embarrassed.

The school's administration made everyone remove their bandanas because, according to the school's dress code, it was "gang affiliated clothing."

Hijabs are banned by the Quebec Soccer Association because there is a risk of strangulation. I'm not sure how likely that is to actually happen, but I think it is important to point out that there is a rationale there.

I want to know if Orthodox Jewish boys are allowed to wear kipot when they play. I don't know what the IFAB rules for that are, but I certainly remember from my childhood a few Orthodox boys playing sports while wearing kipot.

I love the Nike hijab. A reasonable solution, to me, seems to be coming up with regulations for a hijab that specifically do not interfere with play, such as no pins, etc. If sports can deal with girls with flowing hair, girls with hair in braids, etc. certainly there is a way to deal with girls in headscarves. The Nike one does not look like it would get in the way any more than a jersey would.

The FIFA rules on accessories are sometimes ridiculous, but they are applied rather rigorously. The players of my home side in the German Bundesliga, Mainz 05, weren't even allowed to wear a sweat absorbing wrist band with their team motto in official games for alleged health reasons... but depending on the hijab, I can actually see the risk of strangling. Complicated, as are all questions in this regard.

BTW, may I say that I'm impressed by the open defense of the right to wear the hijab on a feminist website. There are hardly any German feminists who (publicly) support a woman's right to wear the hijab.

The FIFA rules on accessories are sometimes ridiculous, but they are applied rather rigorously. The players of my home side in the German Bundesliga, Mainz 05, weren't even allowed to wear a sweat absorbing wrist band with their team motto in official games for alleged health reasons... but depending on the hijab, I can actually see the risk of strangling. Complicated, as are all questions in this regard.

BTW, may I say that I'm impressed by the open defense of the right to wear the hijab on a feminist website. There are hardly any German feminists who (publicly) support a woman's right to wear the hijab.

The US/FIFA rulebook states it as: "A player must not use equipment or wear anything that is dangerous to himself or another player (including any kind of jewelry)."

I can understand the strangulation risk - if someone were to grab the back of her hijab (either on purpose or accidentally - while falling, etc) I don't know how tightly those are held on, but I can see where they're coming from.

although, it IS the ref's final call. Any organization will back a ref's call, however ridiculous. But I think the Nike hijab there would be a really good compromise, actually.

The US/FIFA rulebook states it as: "A player must not use equipment or wear anything that is dangerous to himself or another player (including any kind of jewelry)."

I can understand the strangulation risk - if someone were to grab the back of her hijab (either on purpose or accidentally - while falling, etc) I don't know how tightly those are held on, but I can see where they're coming from.

although, it IS the ref's final call. Any organization will back a ref's call, however ridiculous. But I think the Nike hijab there would be a really good compromise, actually.

Completely bogus, pure BS. While I could see the concern about strangulation, that simply isnt the same as a metal necklace around one's neck.

Fabric will give or tear if enough force is present.

This girl should appeal the decision, then sue if possible.

"Hijabs are banned by the Quebec Soccer Association because there is a risk of strangulation. I'm not sure how likely that is to actually happen, but I think it is important to point out that there is a rationale there."

There was an article in the Montreal Gazette last week that stated that there was a child in Ontario a few years ago who had his neck broken because he was wearing a headband. I for one am unwilling to risk this girl's health because her father forces her to wear a hijab.

"although, it IS the ref's final call."

Ironically, the ref was a muslim. Go figger.

As a Quebecer, I'm proud that we will not be changing our rules to accomodate religious beliefs (be they Muslim, Christian, or Jewish).

"Hijabs are banned by the Quebec Soccer Association because there is a risk of strangulation. I'm not sure how likely that is to actually happen, but I think it is important to point out that there is a rationale there."

There was an article in the Montreal Gazette last week that stated that there was a child in Ontario a few years ago who had his neck broken because he was wearing a headband. I for one am unwilling to risk this girl's health because her father forces her to wear a hijab.

"although, it IS the ref's final call."

Ironically, the ref was a muslim. Go figger.

As a Quebecer, I'm proud that we will not be changing our rules to accomodate religious beliefs (be they Muslim, Christian, or Jewish).

RM,
How do you know her father is forcing her? The article that Marnanel links to says that she wears it of her own choice and that her mother doesn’t where hijab.
On another note head bands and headscarf don’t look anything like each other do they?

Raging Moderate,
I guess that if it was brought to the human rights tribunal or to court, a total ban on hijabs would be contrary to QC law (unless they could really prove that every hijab would have strangulation risks). This falls under (entirely) reasonable accommodation to me.

Strangulation IS NOT a valid reason for banning her from playing.

A simple piece of velcro or limiting the fabric resistance to 5 or 10 pounds of pressure would eliminate any strangulation dangers.

Lets go against tradition on this one. Why cant a male or female were a required headpiece (required by their religion) that poses no risk to the wearer or the other participants?

To simply say no because you can, doesnt make it right. Rules should not be blindly enforced.

Are tampons or pads not allowed to be worn in uniform? If so, why or why not? They are not specifically mentioned in the socks shoes jersey statement. Neither are athletic cups or nipple shields, but people still wear them.

Hijabs are banned by the Quebec Soccer Association because there is a risk of strangulation.

Do they not have Velcro in Canada?

I'm more or less with the majority of comments here - that in this case it seems perfectly ok. But I don't think we should get over-excited and start thinking of religion as some kind of immutable characteristic. This isn't nearly as legit as the girl with the scars who wore leggings, in my mind. I think this should be read purely in terms of "this person would prefer to wear clothing xx along with their uniform. Is it safe/not a distraction to game play?" That's all that's relevent. The religious aspect is a red herring.

What if she wore a hijab that matched the team uniform?

In London, a policewoman can wear hijab and a policeman can wear a turban...but not just any hijab or turban. There's a specific style that matches the uniform:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/1294417.stm

It's like the way a policewoman there who doesn't wear hijab can wear a bowler hat but not just any bowler hat.

What if she wore a hijab that matched the team uniform?

In London, a policewoman can wear hijab and a policeman can wear a turban...but not just any hijab or turban. There's a specific style that matches the uniform:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/1294417.stm

It's like the way a policewoman there who doesn't wear hijab can wear a bowler hat but not just any bowler hat.

Strangulation? In my secondary school (in Malaysia, a majority Muslim country), almost all the Muslim girls wore hijab/tudung while playing sports. Absolutely zero risk of strangulation. Hijabs aren't tight; they sit around your face and head, not your neck.

Scilian: Fabric will give or tear if enough force is present.

Tell that to Isadora Duncan.

http://www.isadoraduncan.org/about_isadora.html

Scilian: Fabric will give or tear if enough force is present.

Tell that to Isadora Duncan.

http://www.isadoraduncan.org/about_isadora.html