15 WNBA players sign open letter to demand FIBA overturn its hijab ban

[Plebe]

Today, Athlete Ally in partnership with Shirzanan, a media and advocacy organization for Muslim female athletes, published an open letter calling on FIBA to overturn its discriminatory ban on headgear — which includes the hijab worn by observant Muslim athletes. The open letter has been signed by over 30 athletes, and can be found in full below.​

Athlete Ally and Shirzanan Publish Open Letter Demanding FIBA Overturn its Hijab Ban - Athlete Ally

Breanna Stewart, Tina Charles, and Kiah Stokes are among the signees. (Interestingly, nine of the 15 WNBA players who signed are with the NY Liberty.)

 

[Sonny44]

It's just a head scarf, right? Not a full body covering.

 

[Millenial23]

It's just a head scarf, right? Not a full body covering.

Yes, the burka is the full body covering that you may be thinking of. But either way, what does it matter? So what if they were to play in athletic long sleeves and pants and a head scarf? Thought I may have seen some of that in the Olympics.

 

[emjay]

This is great! So proud to see WNBA athletes like Stewart, Charles and Stokes supporting hijabi athletes. It's heartwarming and reassuring.

I'm a teacher, and the schools I've taught at over the years have all had diverse student populations - diverse in terms of race, ethnicity, class and religion. Several years ago, two Muslim sisters were among the best players on the girls' soccer team. They wore hijab as well as leggings and long-sleeved shirts under their uniforms to stay modest as they desired. And wow, were they ever fierce on the field.

Edited to add - these sisters are not the only Muslim female student athletes I've seen! They were just the two of the best and therefore most memorable.

 

[Sonny44]

Yes, the burka is the full body covering that you may be thinking of. But either way, what does it matter? So what if they were to play in athletic long sleeves and pants and a head scarf? Thought I may have seen some of that in the Olympics.

Doesn't matter. Who should care if they wear a scarf?
I wouldn't like to see loose, long fitting attire though as it could interfere with foul calling, touching and obscure the vision of the refs, positioning of feet, etc.
Personally I like the women's unis of the 50's. Actually, almost everything was better in the 50's.

 

[Magy Cannon]

I hope FIBA maintains the ban. Hijab is just another way the moslem religion limits women and girls. Moslem men don't wear Hijab and they too claim to be modest.

 

[HuskyNan]

Doesn't matter. Who should care if they wear a scarf?
I wouldn't like to see loose, long fitting attire though as it could interfere with foul calling, touching and obscure the vision of the refs, positioning of feet, etc.
Personally I like the women's unis of the 50's. Actually, almost everything was better in the 50's.

 

[HuskyNan]

I hope FIBA maintains the ban. Hijab is just another way the moslem religion limits women and girls. Moslem men don't wear Hijab and they too claim to be modest.

FIBA doesn't just ban hijabs:

The international governing body for basketball, FIBA (Fédération Internationale de Basketball Amateur), claims under its new branding strategy that its “aim is to recognize and celebrate the global movement of basketball”. However, FIBA’s desire for increased participation is contradicted by the enforcement of a rule that bars devout Muslims, Sikhs, and Jews from participating in international competition if they compete wearing a hijab, turban, or yarmulke.

Head Games: International sport governance, FIBA, and the ban on hijabs, turbans, and yarmulkes from basketball [Long Read]

 

[CBus13]

I hope FIBA maintains the ban. Hijab is just another way the moslem religion limits women and girls. Moslem men don't wear Hijab and they too claim to be modest.

When a woman of the Muslim faith hit's puberty they decide weather they will wear a hijab or not. If they do, it is a sign of their devotion to their God. If they don't, it's because they interpret the Qu'ran's scriptures differently and see the Hijab as a cultural interpretation of the principles of modesty. So, this is not a way to limit women and girls of the Muslim religion, it is their way to express themselves and their relationship with their God.
Banning the religious garb of these women and men isn't going to change the religion, it'll just prevent young people and adults from participating in athletics and benefitting from all the positives of team sports and exercise.

Do you feel the same about Orthodox Jewish rules for female dress?

Also, in Islam, the term Muslim and Moslem have two different meanings. Muslim means "One who gives himself to God" while Moslem means "one who is evil or unjust" so many Islamic groups have asked journalist and others to refrain from using moslem to describe their people.

 

[emjay]

I hope FIBA maintains the ban. Hijab is just another way the moslem religion limits women and girls. Moslem men don't wear Hijab and they too claim to be modest.

I find it useful to speak with and live with communities of Muslim girls and women to gain some understanding about why they may or may not choose to wear hijab. As a teacher of many students who are Muslim, and a big-city resident, I've found that the lived experiences, values and viewpoints of hijabi Muslims are simply too diverse to paint with one brush.

As a teacher, I've witnessed students who are Muslim and wear hijab do all manner of teenaged things without seeming any more or less limited than their peers: excel academically and earn university scholarships, speak assertively in classroom round table discussions, participate in sports (including basketball!) and clubs, win student council elections, act loud and dramatic in the hallways with their friends, complain about their younger or older siblings, complain about their parents and teachers, get into fights, stop fights, help their classmates, help their teachers, underperform academically and skip class, write essays about the devastation of the Holocaust, support LGBT rights in GSA activities, love reading and writing, hate reading and writing, tell ridiculous jokes, sneak food into class, etc. etc. I've seen girls come into high school wearing hijab and then stop wearing it, and I've seen girls come into high school not wearing hijab and then start wearing it.

I hope that you have opportunities to meet many different girls and women who are hijabi Muslim.

 

[HuskyNan]

When a woman of the Muslim faith hit's puberty they decide weather they will wear a hijab or not. If they do, it is a sign of their devotion to their God. If they don't, it's because they interpret the Qu'ran's scriptures differently and see the Hijab as a cultural interpretation of the principles of modesty. So, this is not a way to limit women and girls of the Muslim religion, it is their way to express themselves and their relationship with their God.

Case in point:

 

[Roger G]

They probably should not have the ban since the girls and women may not be able to play otherwise. They may be subject to honor killing or other pressures from their families and culture if they do not wear the hijab.

 

[PhillyCoach]

Case in point:

View attachment 19193

I love the BY and UConn material. This topic is a little too political for many. However, to each his own. How about some humor---my son saw the picture above and said it reminded him of a Cheech and Chong movie when Chong said something like, " Hey man, we are starting a band and we are going to be wearing uniforms, that means we can all wear something different." He has a different perspective on life. To each his own. On to the Temple game!!

 

[Plebe]

I find it useful to speak with and live with communities of Muslim girls and women to gain some understanding about why they may or may not choose to wear hijab. As a teacher of many students who are Muslim, and a big-city resident, I've found that the lived experiences, values and viewpoints of hijabi Muslims are simply too diverse to paint with one brush.

As a teacher, I've witnessed students who are Muslim and wear hijab do all manner of teenaged things without seeming any more or less limited than their peers: excel academically and earn university scholarships, speak assertively in classroom round table discussions, participate in sports (including basketball!) and clubs, win student council elections, act loud and dramatic in the hallways with their friends, complain about their younger or older siblings, complain about their parents and teachers, get into fights, stop fights, help their classmates, help their teachers, underperform academically and skip class, write essays about the devastation of the Holocaust, support LGBT rights in GSA activities, love reading and writing, hate reading and writing, tell ridiculous jokes, sneak food into class, etc. etc. I've seen girls come into high school wearing hijab and then stop wearing it, and I've seen girls come into high school not wearing hijab and then start wearing it.

I hope that you have opportunities to meet many different girls and women who are hijabi Muslim.

Thank you for this. It's amazing how much of a difference it makes to actually know and speak with people.

 

[HuskyNan]

I love the BY and UConn material. This topic is a little too political for many. However, to each his own. How about some humor---my son saw the picture above and said it reminded him of a Cheech and Chong movie when Chong said something like, " Hey man, we are starting a band and we are going to be wearing uniforms, that means we can all wear something different." He has a different perspective on life. To each his own. On to the Temple game!!

I'm reading the thread carefully for political content and don't see any here. Explaining why the hijab is, or isn't, worn is pertinent to the topic.

 

[drweo]

I find it useful to speak with and live with communities of Muslim girls and women to gain some understanding about why they may or may not choose to wear hijab. As a teacher of many students who are Muslim, and a big-city resident, I've found that the lived experiences, values and viewpoints of hijabi Muslims are simply too diverse to paint with one brush.

As a teacher, I've witnessed students who are Muslim and wear hijab do all manner of teenaged things without seeming any more or less limited than their peers: excel academically and earn university scholarships, speak assertively in classroom round table discussions, participate in sports (including basketball!) and clubs, win student council elections, act loud and dramatic in the hallways with their friends, complain about their younger or older siblings, complain about their parents and teachers, get into fights, stop fights, help their classmates, help their teachers, underperform academically and skip class, write essays about the devastation of the Holocaust, support LGBT rights in GSA activities, love reading and writing, hate reading and writing, tell ridiculous jokes, sneak food into class, etc. etc. I've seen girls come into high school wearing hijab and then stop wearing it, and I've seen girls come into high school not wearing hijab and then start wearing it.

I hope that you have opportunities to meet many different girls and women who are hijabi Muslim.

Like this times ten!!!!

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

Let us not over-simplify, however.

As stated in the excellent post by emjay and experienced by Muslims in many places, it would be wrong to consider someones choice to wear hijab as "forced". But it would be incorrect not to acknowledge that there are certainly countries and regions where the mode of dress is "forced" and in most of these regions women do not have sports opportunity either.

Similarly, as someone notes, orthodox Jewish women have certain religious modesty requirements, and while this is a women's board, as Nan notes there are issues for Sikh men who wear turbans as part of their religious practice.

I notice in many areas, and sports is one of them, that we often tend to simplify. While we are discussing the area appropriate for a women's basketball board - and correctly limiting our discussion to those topics - I am a firm believer that you need to, as someone making a comment, be at least aware of the complicating background factors that go into folks thought process.

 

[Magy Cannon]

Do you feel the same about Orthodox Jewish rules for female dress?

Yes. Anything that restricts women and doesn't apply to men I am against.

And it is unfair to women and girls.

 

[hussybulldog]

I find it useful to speak with and live with communities of Muslim girls and women to gain some understanding about why they may or may not choose to wear hijab. As a teacher of many students who are Muslim, and a big-city resident, I've found that the lived experiences, values and viewpoints of hijabi Muslims are simply too diverse to paint with one brush.

As a teacher, I've witnessed students who are Muslim and wear hijab do all manner of teenaged things without seeming any more or less limited than their peers: excel academically and earn university scholarships, speak assertively in classroom round table discussions, participate in sports (including basketball!) and clubs, win student council elections, act loud and dramatic in the hallways with their friends, complain about their younger or older siblings, complain about their parents and teachers, get into fights, stop fights, help their classmates, help their teachers, underperform academically and skip class, write essays about the devastation of the Holocaust, support LGBT rights in GSA activities, love reading and writing, hate reading and writing, tell ridiculous jokes, sneak food into class, etc. etc. I've seen girls come into high school wearing hijab and then stop wearing it, and I've seen girls come into high school not wearing hijab and then start wearing it.

I hope that you have opportunities to meet many different girls and women who are hijabi Muslim.

If they can wear it and then stop wearing it because of their interpretation shifts(or your justification of their attire change.) , what was the point? If everybody decides to show up on the court with different attire , color because of their new found belief, it would be a circus! Some of the top female chess players decided not to attend the world championship this year in Iran because of this hajib requrement, I applaud their decision. The women might think they wear it willingly and they interprete their holy book correctly, not under the influence of the men in their society. The similar conclusion could be drawn when you ask Chinese women from 19th century why they bounded their feet .

 

[emjay]

If they can wear it and then stop wearing it because of their interpretation shifts(or your justification of their attire change.) , what was the point? If everybody decides to show up on the court with different attire , color because of their new found belief, it would be a circus! Some of the top female chess players decided not to attend the world championship this year in Iran because of this hajib requrement, I applaud their decision. The women might think they wear it willingly and they interprete their holy book correctly, not under the influence of the men in their society. The similar conclusion could be drawn when you ask Chinese women from 19th century why they bounded their feet .

I would never presume to know the reasons behind a girl's choices about wearing hijab, or the nature of her conversations with her family. There haven't been many students who've stopped or started wearing hijab, but there have been some, which is enough of a reminder to me that I shouldn't generalize. Ultimately, I think that these are personal decisions of faith, and I'm respectful of that.

KnightBridgeAZ pointed out that there are places in the world where wearing hijab is forced. This seems to me to be a problem of cruel and misogynistic leadership that uses the hijab, niqab, burqa, abaya and so forth oppressively. If FIBA wishes to respond to injustice in repressive countries, then I'd hope that their policies would respond to those specific countries, without limiting athletes from democratic countries.

My students are, of course, Canadian, like me. I wish I could invite any one of them - Iqra, Izza, Amina, Sagal, Farida, Layla, Sumaya, Zohal, Heela, Abida, Sameera, Sundus, Sahra, etc. etc. etc. - here to speak for herself. Instead, I'll just say that I can't express enough gratitude for the ways in which all of my students continue to challenge me to confront my own assumptions and biases. (And this is hard work - and I know it feels pretty awful sometimes.) They remind me everyday that listening willingly makes me kinder, more patient, more effective as a teacher - and happier. (Plus... so many of them are just hilarious! They crack me up everyday too. )

 

[CBus13]

Do you feel the same about Orthodox Jewish rules for female dress?

Yes. Anything that restricts women and doesn't apply to men I am against.

And it is unfair to women and girls.

As a non-jewish, who grew up in a predominately jewish community and who has worked in a jewish summer camp for four summer through college, I've met a variety of peoples of the various jewish lines of practice. Many of the women I know are Orthodox jews, they wore the jean skirts and wrapped their hair, but they were also lawyers, college students, nurses, and teachers. They were some of the most opinionated and loving individuals I've met. They never seemed restricted from happiness or their own success. They all also chose to practice the Orthodox line of the Jewish religion. They are considered the more Modern branch of the religion, but Hasidic jews are banned from attending college and typical practice isolation from non-Jewish. The men must wear a specific style of clothing (yarmulke, tzitzi (fringe tassles), long black coats, black pants, and white shirts) and cannot shave their faces with razors. Men are not allowed to touch a woman who is not their wife. Synagogue is separated by gender and men and women must walk on the opposite side of the street from each other. So there are rules for both sides and I think the most empowering thing you can do for a woman is to let them make their own decisions with their life.

 

[meyers7]

KnightBridgeAZ pointed out that there are places in the world where wearing hijab is forced. This seems to me to be a problem of cruel and misogynistic leadership that uses the hijab, niqab, burqa, abaya and so forth oppressively. If FIBA wishes to respond to injustice in repressive countries, then I'd hope that their policies would respond to those specific countries, without limiting athletes from democratic countries.

Ok, we have a few people in this thread kind of going off the rails a little bit. From a FIBA perspective this has NOTHING to do with religion. The ban has to do with "safety". They don't (presently) want anyone wearing stuff on their heads for safety issues. It's not about the Hijab, it's not about Muslims.

Now will this remain a "safety" issue? Probably not. FIFA has changed it's stance recently, I assume FIBA will probably follow suit. Not really a big deal.

 

[emjay]

Ok, we have a few people in this thread kind of going off the rails a little bit. From a FIBA perspective this has NOTHING to do with religion. The ban has to do with "safety". They don't (presently) want anyone wearing stuff on their heads for safety issues. It's not about the Hijab, it's not about Muslims.

Now will this remain a "safety" issue? Probably not. FIFA has changed it's stance recently, I assume FIBA will probably follow suit. Not really a big deal.

The comment is part of a response to KnightBridgeAZ's post (sorry if this isn't clear), not a claim about FIBA's actual policy or viewpoint.

 

[meyers7]

The comment is part of a response to KnightBridgeAZ's post (sorry if this isn't clear), not a claim about FIBA's actual policy or viewpoint.

My response wasn't directly specifically at you or your post. Just used it as an example.

 

[emjay]

My response wasn't directly specifically at you or your post. Just used it as an example.

Ah, I understand. I believe several posts are responding to Magy Cannon's comment that wearing hijab limits Muslim women. The conversation has moved away from a discussion of the original article (or expanded upon it, depending on your view).