Iran to file complaint against FIFA hijab ban

[News_Editor]

Iran to file complaint against FIFA hijab ban

2011-06-05 02:17:48 GMT+7 (ICT)

TEHRAN (BNO NEWS) -- Iran on Saturday said it will file a complaint against the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) official, who banned the country's women football team from playing in an Olympics qualifier match, over their hijab, the state-run Press TV reported.

"We have already held talks with the president of the International Federation of Association Football about the participation of Iranian women in matches with full Islamic hijab," the head of the Iranian Football Federation (IFF) Ali Kaffashian was quoted as saying on Saturday.

"Unfortunately, however, I do not know why the official in charge of the matches refused to let our team play."

On Friday, a FIFA official banned the Iranian women's national soccer team from playing against Jordan in the second round of the qualifiers for the 2012 London Olympic Games in the Jordanian capital city, Amman. Jordan was announced to have won 3-0 after the Iranian team refused to remove their hijab.

According to Islamic guidelines, women are required to cover their hair in public. The FIFA women's association, however, requires the neck and ears to remain uncovered.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-06-05

[Steely Dan]

Thankyou Iran, it's nice to start Sunday off with a good laugh.

[Thaddeus]

If you don't want to play by the rules that everyone else finds acceptable, then don't play, simple really.

And don't bloody moan about it either, it only serves to make you look like petulant children.

[bonobo]

On the other hand, and there is always an other hand, what harm does it do to allow women to wear sports uniforms which comply with religious codes? There was a star high school athlete in the US, a cross-country runner, who had competed for three years with a unitard which extended to her head, then the school's shorts and shirts over that. At the state finals, the fourth one as which she had run, she was told at the last minute that she was disqualified unless she would take off the unitard (which she did not take off). Frankly, I don't see this as being fair nor warranted.

I am not a fan of Iran, and I don't know how the players were dressed, but this is one area in which I can see sports governing bodies granting some leeway, just as if a Jewish athlete wanted to wear a yarmaluke or a Sikh wanted to wear a turban. As long as no advantage could be gained, nor would there be any effect on the opponent, I would like to see more leeway granted in these cases.

[Thaddeus]

On the other hand, and there is always an other hand, what harm does it do to allow women to wear sports uniforms which comply with religious codes?

It's wrong because that's how the erosion starts.

Keep religion out of sport.

[Thaddeus]

a Sikh wanted to wear a turban.

It would make headers interesting.

Don't you think that is an actively good reason why you don't see footballers wearing turbans. If you want to play a sport that much, you have to be able to put a small part of your religious code aside for the brief moment that you are playing. If you are unable to do that, fine, don't play.

What next, Iran decides that if they get a penalty they want to slaughter a goat first for luck.

[Steely Dan]

In my view motivation is one of the key issues here. It is revealing that the match concerned was awarded to Jordan, another Islamic nation. Indeed Turkey and Tunisia have actually gone as far as banning women from wearing Islamic head covering garments in public. That Iran want to introduce the niqab is in my view being deliberately divisive and is discriminatory against women too.

As a side issue Fifa recently banned a ring of material some players were wearing round their necks called snoods, which they argued constituted a choking hazard if opposing players grabbed hold of them.

[Scott]

It would be interesting to know FIFA's reasoning. They may have a valid reason for it.

[bonobo]

a Sikh wanted to wear a turban.

It would make headers interesting.

Don't you think that is an actively good reason why you don't see footballers wearing turbans. If you want to play a sport that much, you have to be able to put a small part of your religious code aside for the brief moment that you are playing. If you are unable to do that, fine, don't play.

What next, Iran decides that if they get a penalty they want to slaughter a goat first for luck.

In football, wearing a turban would affect the play of a header. But in cricket? In running?

And your comment on slaughtering a goat is specious. From where do you get that odd hypothetical?

[bonobo]

In the movie "Chariots of Fire," the plight of Harold Abrahams, the Jewish runner who refused to run on the Sabbath, was depicted. Even at that time, the Olympic Committee was chastised in public for forcing Abrahams to make that choice.

So religion in sports politics has been an issue for decades. So how is a British Jewish athlete's plight different than that of modern athletes who have strong religious beliefs?

I state again that in my humble opinion, unless the practice of those beliefs give any advantage to someone in the competition, or unless they have a negative impact on their opponents, then there shouldn't be a kneejerk reaction by the sports governing bodies with regard to uniforms and such.

[Steely Dan]

In the movie "Chariots of Fire," the plight of Harold Abrahams, the Jewish runner who refused to run on the Sabbath, was depicted. Even at that time, the Olympic Committee was chastised in public for forcing Abrahams to make that choice.

So religion in sports politics has been an issue for decades. So how is a British Jewish athlete's plight different than that of modern athletes who have strong religious beliefs?

I state again that in my humble opinion, unless the practice of those beliefs give any advantage to someone in the competition, or unless they have a negative impact on their opponents, then there shouldn't be a kneejerk reaction by the sports governing bodies with regard to uniforms and such.

I think the whole ethos of sport should be to bring people together not to divide them on racial or religious grounds. You are presenting this at face value by choosing to believe the Iranian stance is based on religious belief. I'm inclined to question whether it was the free choice of all the women in the team to adopt the dress in question, or whether this was some edict forced upon them. I'm not sure how long women's football has been an olympic event for, but I would be curious to know whether the same problem occured during qualification for a past olympic games.

[geriatrickid]

In the movie "Chariots of Fire," the plight of Harold Abrahams, the Jewish runner who refused to run on the Sabbath, was depicted. Even at that time, the Olympic Committee was chastised in public for forcing Abrahams to make that choice.

So religion in sports politics has been an issue for decades. So how is a British Jewish athlete's plight different than that of modern athletes who have strong religious beliefs?

I state again that in my humble opinion, unless the practice of those beliefs give any advantage to someone in the competition, or unless they have a negative impact on their opponents, then there shouldn't be a kneejerk reaction by the sports governing bodies with regard to uniforms and such.

An inappropriate comparison. The Olympics were a scheduling event and did not relate to safety issues. At the time the Olympics were European driven and subject to the eurocentric view of life. Fast forward to today and one would not oblige muslim athletes to compete during Ramadam, would one? Nor are footie matches for games scheduled on the muslim sabbath if muslim teams are involved. Scheduling an event is not the same as the rules in respect to head coverings that can present a safety hazard. or interfere in an event. A hijab is acceptable for those engaged in fencing if the hijab is tucked in and remains under the protective head gear. A turban wearing sihk could not fence as he would not be able to observe the protective head gear code. A skullcap wearing jew could fence as the skullcap would be worn under the protective gear. Skullcap wearing jews can meet the uniform dress code because the headware is small, discrete and presents no hazard to getting caught or unraveling.

You also have missed the big picture: There is no religious requirement for a woman to wear a hijab. It may be a practice common to some cultures, but there are enough muslim scholars that have argued that no such edict exists such that the wearing of a hijab is not a religious issue.

[bonobo]

In the movie "Chariots of Fire," the plight of Harold Abrahams, the Jewish runner who refused to run on the Sabbath, was depicted. Even at that time, the Olympic Committee was chastised in public for forcing Abrahams to make that choice.

So religion in sports politics has been an issue for decades. So how is a British Jewish athlete's plight different than that of modern athletes who have strong religious beliefs?

I state again that in my humble opinion, unless the practice of those beliefs give any advantage to someone in the competition, or unless they have a negative impact on their opponents, then there shouldn't be a kneejerk reaction by the sports governing bodies with regard to uniforms and such.

An inappropriate comparison. The Olympics were a scheduling event and did not relate to safety issues. At the time the Olympics were European driven and subject to the eurocentric view of life. Fast forward to today and one would not oblige muslim athletes to compete during Ramadam, would one? Nor are footie matches for games scheduled on the muslim sabbath if muslim teams are involved. Scheduling an event is not the same as the rules in respect to head coverings that can present a safety hazard. or interfere in an event. A hijab is acceptable for those engaged in fencing if the hijab is tucked in and remains under the protective head gear. A turban wearing sihk could not fence as he would not be able to observe the protective head gear code. A skullcap wearing jew could fence as the skullcap would be worn under the protective gear. Skullcap wearing jews can meet the uniform dress code because the headware is small, discrete and presents no hazard to getting caught or unraveling.

You also have missed the big picture: There is no religious requirement for a woman to wear a hijab. It may be a practice common to some cultures, but there are enough muslim scholars that have argued that no such edict exists such that the wearing of a hijab is not a religious issue.

Your point is well taken that the hijab is not a religious requirement per se. And to Steele Joe, I already predicated my original statement that I am not a fan of Iran nor do I know the exact reasons why the uniform was disapproved. If the hajib as worn is in fact a safety hazard, so be it. Ban the wearing during competition. What I still contend, though, is that there seems to be a kneejerk reaction nowadays to all things Muslim, in particular, and while there are huge gaps in how we all understand the world, perhaps sports doesn't have to be a bone of contention which further widens the gulf between the two worlds. If there is no competitive reason behind whether a certain type of clothing should or shouldn't be allowed, then let's not immediately ban them.

My previous example of the high schooler wearing a unitard under her school shorts ans shirts falls directly into the category of why not? What possible competitive advantage or safety reason could there be to disqualify this girl right before the race, the same race in which she had competed in before?

To me, the issue is not one of Iran and women's football. It is of how to try and coexist a little better and keep sports out of the political arena. I personally lost my chance at competing in the Olympics due to Jimmy Carter using the Olympics as a political platform, and I would rather see people working together to make sports work rather than politicized rhetoric.

And, once again in my opinion, while there are certainly good reasons to promulgate uniform requirements, if anyone thinks that there hasn't been overkill in this arena, then I think they are sadly deluded.

[bonobo]

In the movie "Chariots of Fire," the plight of Harold Abrahams, the Jewish runner who refused to run on the Sabbath, was depicted. Even at that time, the Olympic Committee was chastised in public for forcing Abrahams to make that choice.

So religion in sports politics has been an issue for decades. So how is a British Jewish athlete's plight different than that of modern athletes who have strong religious beliefs?

I state again that in my humble opinion, unless the practice of those beliefs give any advantage to someone in the competition, or unless they have a negative impact on their opponents, then there shouldn't be a kneejerk reaction by the sports governing bodies with regard to uniforms and such.

An inappropriate comparison. The Olympics were a scheduling event and did not relate to safety issues. At the time the Olympics were European driven and subject to the eurocentric view of life. Fast forward to today and one would not oblige muslim athletes to compete during Ramadam, would one? Nor are footie matches for games scheduled on the muslim sabbath if muslim teams are involved. Scheduling an event is not the same as the rules in respect to head coverings that can present a safety hazard. or interfere in an event. A hijab is acceptable for those engaged in fencing if the hijab is tucked in and remains under the protective head gear. A turban wearing sihk could not fence as he would not be able to observe the protective head gear code. A skullcap wearing jew could fence as the skullcap would be worn under the protective gear. Skullcap wearing jews can meet the uniform dress code because the headware is small, discrete and presents no hazard to getting caught or unraveling.

Inappropriate to you, but not to me. Thaddeus posted to keep religion out of sports. I gave an example where religious restrictions did become an issue in our biggest sporting event. I never wrote that this was the same as clothing worn during competitions. So I would opine that your post took mine quite out of context.

[luckizuchinni]

<br />

<br />

<br />In the movie "Chariots of Fire," the plight of Harold Abrahams, the Jewish runner who refused to run on the Sabbath, was depicted.  Even at that time, the Olympic Committee was chastised in public for forcing Abrahams to make that choice.<br /><br />So religion in sports politics has been an issue for decades.  So how is  a British Jewish athlete's plight different than that of modern athletes who have strong religious beliefs?<br /><br />I state again that in my humble opinion, unless the practice of those beliefs give any advantage to someone in the competition, or unless they have a negative impact on their opponents, then there shouldn't be a kneejerk  reaction by the sports governing bodies with regard to uniforms and such.<br /><br /><br />

<br /><br />An inappropriate comparison. The Olympics were a scheduling event and  did not relate to safety issues. At the time the Olympics were European driven and subject to the eurocentric view of life.  Fast forward to today and one would not  oblige muslim athletes to compete during Ramadam, would one? Nor are  footie matches for  games scheduled on the muslim sabbath if muslim teams are involved. Scheduling an event is not the same as the rules in respect to head coverings that   can present a safety hazard. or interfere in an event. A hijab  is acceptable for   those engaged in fencing if the hijab is tucked in and remains under the protective head gear. A turban wearing sihk could not fence as he would not be able to observe the protective head gear code. A  skullcap wearing jew could fence as the skullcap would be worn under the  protective gear. Skullcap wearing jews can meet the uniform dress code because the  headware is small, discrete and  presents no hazard to getting  caught or unraveling.<br /><br />You also have missed the big picture: There is no religious requirement for a woman to wear a hijab. It may be a practice  common to some cultures, but there are enough muslim scholars that have argued that no such edict exists such that the wearing of a hijab is not a religious issue.<br />

<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Your point is well taken that the hijab is not a religious requirement per se. And to Steele Joe, I already predicated my original statement that I am not a fan of Iran nor do I know the exact reasons why the uniform was disapproved. If the hajib as worn is in fact a safety hazard, so be it.  Ban the wearing during competition. What I still contend, though, is that there seems to be a kneejerk reaction nowadays to all things Muslim, in particular, and while there are huge gaps in how we all understand the world, perhaps sports doesn't have to be a bone of contention which further widens the gulf between the two worlds.  If there is no competitive reason behind whether a certain type of clothing should or shouldn't be allowed, then let's not immediately ban them.  <br /><br />My previous example of the high schooler wearing a unitard under her school shorts ans shirts falls directly into the category of why not?  What possible competitive advantage or safety reason could there be to disqualify this girl right before the race, the same race in which she had competed in before?<br /><br /><br />To me, the issue is not one of Iran and women's football.  It is of how to try and coexist a little better and keep sports out of the political arena.  I personally lost my chance at competing in the Olympics due to Jimmy Carter using the Olympics as a political platform, and I would rather see people working together to make sports work rather than politicized rhetoric.<br /><br />And, once again in my opinion, while there are certainly good reasons to promulgate uniform requirements, if anyone thinks that there hasn't been overkill in this arena, then I think they are sadly deluded.<br /><br /><br />

<br /><br /><br />

I think you are wrong to question this case in particular. I don't see how you can wear any headcovering for soccer. However, I sort of see your main point. If it doesn't affect anything in a particular sport, then why not?