Covering the nonsense

A viable solution to an unnecessary national debate

Jessica Stewin, Volunteer Staff

The story of young Muslim girls enrolled in martial arts has unnecessarily become a national concern.

Last May, a group of Muslim women lost a case in Quebec against the World Taekwondo Federation. It was ruled that women wearing hijabs would not be allowed to compete in Taekwondo competitions. The World Taekwondo Federation forbids the wearing of any protective head-gear, and, although a hijab would not be considered “protective,” officials consider them to be safety hazards.

Judo, on the other hand, has no international rules concerning the wearing of hijabs. Because of this, the decision of whether or not Muslim women are allowed to compete while wearing their headscarves is left up to the co-ordinators of each competition. For whatever reason, the Taekwondo case last May did not seem to concern Judo officials, who took no action in their own martial art to put any rules in place regarding the use of hijabs in competitions.

The 2006 World Judo Championships required all Muslim women to remove their hijabs before competing and most “replaced them minutes later at the conclusion of the fight,” according to Gabrielle Isaak in a letter to the editor in the Winnipeg Free Press. Isaak also explains that hijabs pose safety concerns in the very physical sport of Judo. Possible concerns are that competitors could be accidently strangled, the scarf could fall over a participant’s face, or another competitor could strain or break her fingers if they were to get tangled in the fabric. Manitoba Judo president Dave Minuk also felt that “It could be used to strangle somebody. It could fall over her face.”

Had Judo officials been less apathetic they could have prevented this issue from coming to the forefront of media attention. On Nov. 17, Hagar Outbih, a young Muslim girl, was not allowed to compete in a Manitoba Judo Competition when she refused to remove her headscarf. Hagar has only been wearing the hijab for three weeks, and because of this it seems more a statement from her parents than from the 11-year-old. Regardless of how long she has donned the headscarf, her story has been the center of much discussion in the media. And it was her tear-soaked cheeks that were able to kick Manitoba sport minister Eric Robinson into action. Robinson ordered a review of the decision to ban Outbih from the competition and find to find a resolution. Hopefully, his vague goal will translate into the formation of well-defined rules for the competition, well-defined and logical rules.

Hagar’s coach, Shirin Farag, felt that the safety concerns of officials were illegitimate. Hagar had competed previously while wearing her hijab and had no problems whatsoever. However, that the hijab has not caused any problems yet does not belittle the potential risk the loose fabric could present. Banning hijabs completely would be a rather dramatic course of action and is sure to upset some Muslim women like Hagar. Although some women may see no problem in removing their headscarves for competition, those who are not willing should be allowed another option.

The answer comes in the form of a website, Queendom-hijabs.com. For the price of $17.50, Muslim women can purchase form-fitting sport hijabs. They are form-fitting and would not pose a choking hazard, nor could someone’s fingers get caught in the fabric. If Judo officials took this into consideration, Muslim women could keep their heads covered while competing, if they choose to do so. Of course, officials may need to regulate which sport hijabs would be allowed, as the regulation of sport equipment is always necessary in professional sports.

This would allow Judo officials to acknowledge that religion is major component in some people’s lives and limit any potential safety threats that loose fitting hijabs may pose. Muslim women would be able to compete, should they wish to keep their head covered or not. It seems a viable solution.

The sport hijabs would present a safety risk no greater to a competitor than if she had long hair. Since there is no ruling that a Judo competitor must have a shaved head, I see no reason why the form-fitting hijab would be an issue.

The banter between Judo officials and Hagar’s family is nonsense. Neither party looked for a solution but instead took extreme stances to make a statement. Both sides claim to desire a resolution to the issue but neither party presents a solution, only their position. If female Judo competitors wish to cover their heads and officials are concerned about safety — is a safe head-covering not the perfect solution? It seems to me an obvious answer.

Jessica Stewin is a University 1 student.