Headgear is Ok, but a Hijab Isn’t?

A while back we were asked to read a piece “The Hijab on the Pitch” by our very own Professor Dubois. This piece introduced me to some information and perceptions some people have on the hijab. Introduced with a fierce image of the Iranian Women’s national team, I was in awe when I read that the French Federation banned the hijab during organized competitions. The idea that a certain group of people were having their culture outright disrespected didn’t complete surprise me given the current state of the world, but I did not expect such claims from France. As a Muslim, I felt ashamed that I had not followed this incident, that people I share a significant school of thought with are facing such apparent backlash. Is it not strange to anyone that makes these decisions that telling a woman to alter her form of dress is down right rude? Telling a woman to casually remove her hijab in a public setting is almost as bad as telling her to walk around naked. So banning the hijab in public places in France will force Muslim women who decide to wear the garment to stay at home, and I cannot wrap my head around the idea that a simple article of clothing is such an issue.

“I am not out to impress of fit in. I am in it to play. Hard.”

Yes there is a lot of controversy surrounding women in Islam and they suffer enough discrimination, why add more to it? This isn’t the first time that France has been openly against religious freedoms for Muslims. In 2009, a Muslim woman was asked to leave a public pool while on vacation because her burquini (a modest form of a bathing suit) was not allowed. The claims were that her form of dress was banned for “hygiene reasons.” While these women are trying to be progressive in their environment by breaking boundaries through the beautiful game, the institutions that are used to fostering progression are pushing them away. Who are these women supposed to turn to?  Dr. Dubois makes a great point in his article where the idea of the hijab being a “safety hazard” is an extremely invalid argument given that several players sport headgear, long hair, and several other objects that can lead to injury. And for claims that women who wear hijab are being ‘oppressed’ by men are very false, and forcing a woman to remove her hijab in public is not liberating for her in any way. She wears it by choice, a choice that should be respected. Since when has impression of a people group gotten us anywhere good?

Dr. Dubois’s article led me to the famous soccer blog “Tales From a Hijabi Footballer.” This witty site shares insight on the struggles Shireen Ahmed faces as a female Muslim soccer player. While I unfortunately missed her visit to campus, her blog provides ample opportunities for people to learn about the hijab and what it’s like to wear one everyday. People who wear hijab already deal with more stares from people in one day than other people do in a week. I cannot emphasis enough or understand the amount of bravery that these women that play soccer with hijabs on all kinds of stages large and small possess. Ahmed’s sassy confidence and quick wit definitely inspires me to keep up with the growth of women wearing hijab on the soccer field. “I am not out to impress of fit in. I am in it to play. Hard.”