Soccer’s international governing body, FIFA, lifted a longtime ban on headscarves on March 1 of this year, opening the door for Muslim women to wear hijab on the pitch. Apparently not every athletic commission agreed or followed suit. Just a few weeks after FIFA’s rule change was announced, a crew of high school referees in Aurora, Colo., didn’t allow Overland HS player Samah Aidah to play while wearing her hijab. In protest, Samah’s non-Muslim teammates banded together and, for their next game, all of them wore hijab:
Meanwhile, basketball’s international governing body, FIBA, is still sleeping on the concept of progress. Their rule prohibiting headscarves and hijab is still in place, as detailed in a recent Ummah Sports feature on pro basketball hopeful Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir.
You can let FIBA know how you feel about their anti-hijab rule by e-mailing info@fiba.com, or adding to the Twitter hashtag #FIBAallowHijab
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