SHEEMA KHAN
Globe and Mail
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070227.wxcohijab27/BNStory/National/home
'Soccer moms 'R' us" is a good way to describe the recreational league
I play in. We are women, over 30 years of age, who get together every
week in friendly, competitive matches. I am the only hijabi in the
league, but no one has ever raised the issue of my head scarf being a
safety hazard (unless I secretly wear hoop earrings underneath). I can
see the ball clearly, and the head scarf is not hanging loosely around
my jersey. In fact, I don't think anyone notices it any more. I'm
simply known as "No. 13."
The past few weeks have been good. We've had two shutouts, both solid
team efforts, and I've managed to score in a number of games. I've
also avoided pulling muscles or twisting my ankle -- an added bonus at
my age -- and the hijab is no impediment.
I first played soccer in high school and loved it from the start. I
coached a few girls' teams and played both competitively and
recreationally (including a stint with a team called the "Dirty Sox").
I am also an accredited coach with the Canadian Soccer Association.
Soccer's a great sport -- it offers the challenge of controlling a
ball, deking past a defender, passing to a teammate and timing a
header (hopefully, into the net). It's great exercise and an
inexpensive way of staying fit. It encourages teamwork and is the most
popular sport on Earth -- loved by more people than baseball,
basketball and hockey (which I also play) combined.
That is why I shook my head in disbelief when I heard yesterday about
Asmahan Mansour, 11, who was barred from playing in a Quebec
tournament for wearing her hijab. Apparently, the referee ruled it a
safety hazard.
Yet the refs in Asma's two other tournament games had no problems with
her headgear. Neither has this ever been an issue in Ontario, where
Asma plays regularly. Her team, along with five other Ontario teams,
boycotted the remainder of the weekend tournament in support of Asma.
Quebec soccer officials cited FIFA, the soccer world's governing body,
as the source for their ban. According to Brigitte Frot, executive
director of the Quebec Soccer Federation, FIFA rules don't allow for
any jewellery or headgear. But on FIFA's website, laws governing
player's equipment state that "equipment such as headgear, facemasks,
knee and arm protectors made of soft, lightweight, padded material are
not considered to be dangerous and are therefore permitted." There are
pictures of soccer players wearing bandanas, glasses and headbands in
action.
The brouhaha in Laval, Que., seems to be a replay of what happened
last May in Australia. A referee refused to allow Afifa Saad to play
with her hijab. Both her team and the opposition supported her, and
the match was called off. The Victorian Soccer Federation said Ms.
Saad, 21, one of the state's most promising strikers, deserved an
apology. The federation also formally adopted a new rule allowing
Muslim women to wear hijab in the field.
VSF chief executive Damien Brown said "the hijab has been deemed from
the outset not to be dangerous and on that basis there is no issue
whatsoever with people wearing it." Mr. Brown even proposed the hijab
policy for possible adoption by FIFA, saying "we're trying to set an
example that will be applied across the world."
Aside from his progressive stand on the rules, Mr. Brown captured the
essential spirit of soccer, noting that "one of the real advantages of
soccer over any other sport is, of course, its cultural diversity and
its appeal across all boundaries." It is this spirit that has escaped
Quebec soccer officials.
In the delightful comedy Bend It Like Beckham, plucky Jesminder Bhamra
tries to satisfy her parents' traditions with her desire to play
professional soccer. It's a metaphor of a dilemma faced by so many
young people -- how to maintain a multiplicity of identities while
remaining true to oneself.
Too bad that Quebec soccer officials, with their unbendable rules,
have stood in the way of a Muslim girl and her soccer dreams. However,
Asma, along with her teammates, coaches and supporters, have been true
to themselves by making sure that the principle of fair play speaks
louder.
sheema.khan @ globeandmail.com
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