Soccer's governing body: Wouldn't let hijab
Nepean girl, coach disappointed by decision
MANCHESTER, England - International soccer rule-makers stopped short of issuing a clear ruling here Saturday on whether players can legally wear the hijab during a game.
But the International Football Association Board (IFAB), which sets the rules for all levels of competitive organized soccer across the globe, did hint that it disapproves of the Muslim headgear, saying existing rules are already clear on what soccer players can wear on the field.
The IFAB, which consists of FIFA and the English, Scottish, Welsh and Irish soccer associations, held its annual meeting here yesterday - a meeting dominated by the proposed use of goal-line video technology. A brief discussion of hijabs came under the "other business"" item at the end of the agenda.
During a short, tightly-controlled post-meeting news conference, members of the board seemed uncomfortable talking about the hijab issue and hurried away afterwards, refusing to give interviews to reporters who were pressing for clarification of their position on hijabs.
"If you play football, there"s a set of laws and rules and Rule Four outlines basic equipment,"" said Brian Barwick, chief executive of the English Football Association, during the news conference.
Rule Four lists basic soccer equipment - jerseys, socks and shin guards, goalie caps - as acceptable but adds: "A player must not use equipment or wear anything that is dangerous to himself or any other player (including any kind of jewelry)."
There is no mention of headscarves in Rule Four and other than jewelry, it does not specify what might or might not be considered dangerous.
While Mr. Barwick"s vagueness did little to settle the matter, he did say soccer has to be inclusive.
"It"s absolutely right to be sensitive to people"s thoughts and philosophies,"" he said, "but equally there has to be a set of laws that are adhered to and we favour Law Four being adhered to.""
Eleven-year-old Nepean Hotspurs player Asmahan "Azzy" Mansour was ordered to remove her hijab during a tournament in Laval, Que. Last week, Mr. Barwick said Muslim headgear had not been an issue in soccer anywhere in the world.
Mr. Barwick and other board members remained tight-lipped as they were led away from the press conference to another part of the downtown hotel where their meeting was held.
Asmahan Mansour, 11, was ejected from a soccer game because she wears a hijab.
But IFAB spokesman Adrian Bevington, protecting his board members from a few members of the Canadian media, said it wasn"t the IFAB"s policy to comment on the decisions of individual referees and therefore could not say whether the Laval referee"s decision had been correct or not.
FIFA spokesman Pekka Odriozola would not comment on the Mansour case either but said: "A referee has to apply the laws of the game and has to check players" equipment. What a player can, or cannot wear is already covered.""
The decision in Manchester was greeted with disbelief at The Dome soccer field at Lansdowne Park in Ottawa, where Azzie Mansour was playing an early-morning game with her Nepean Hotspurs team.
"I am very disappointed with the decision," said Louis Maneiro, her coach.
"I had hoped (IFAB) would clarify the rules, because right now there is a lot of interpretation on what is appropriate and what isn"t.
"The people paying for the confusion are the children. It wasn"t right what happened to Azzie and, with this ruling, I guess it can happen again to another player."
Other Related Links:
Liberation by the Veil
The Word hijab (Modest Dress)
Quranic Verses about Hijab
History of Hijab or Head covering
Head Covering or hijab in Christianity
The Real Visage of the Hijab (modest dress)
Bible verses regarding head covering or Hijab
EQUAL STATUS AND WORTH OF THE GENDER IN QURANIC SOCIETY
Women’s Equality in Quranic Society
