Hijab ban 'turning women off football'
Muslim women discouraged from playing due to headscarf ban in competition, according to FIFA vice-president Prince Ali.
Muslim women are being driven away from football by FIFA's ban of the hijab, with more likely to follow if rulemakers fail to reverse the decision at a meeting next month, Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein of Jordan told news agency Reuters.
While physical Olympic sports such as rugby and taekwondo allow Muslim women to wear the headscarf in competition, football, the world's most popular sport, remains against its use, citing safety concerns.
Last year the Iranian women's football team were prevented from playing their 2012 Olympic second round qualifying match against Jordan because they refused to remove their hijabs before kick-off.
Iran had topped their group in the first round of Olympic qualifiers after going undefeated, however the Asian nation were given 3-0 defeats in their four second round matches because of their failure to comply with the rules, their dreams of competing in London abruptly ended.
"It is very important that everybody has the chance to play the sport that they love and obviously the laws of the games have to be amended to allow that," Prince Ali, a FIFA vice-president, told Reuters in an interview in Singapore.
"I think that football, being the most popular sport in the world, accessible to all, we should take the lead on this issue and therefore that is what we are trying to pursue and hopefully we will get a pass from IFAB."
IFAB Hearing
Founded in 1886, IFAB, or the International Football Association Board, is football’s ultimate law-making body comprising four members from the sport's world governing body, FIFA, and four from the British associations.
They will hold a meeting in England on March 3 where Prince Ali will present the case for allowing players to use a Dutch-designed Velcro hijab which comes apart if pulled and, he hopes, will remove safety concerns.
"As far as I'm concerned, I want to make sure and guarantee what it is - that football is for everyone," said the Prince, who at 36 is the youngest member of FIFA's all-powerful executive committee.
"If you look at other sports such as rugby, they are allowed to play so therefore we hope it will be the same case with football."
A three-quarters majority is required for the proposal to be passed by IFAB, who first banned the hijab in 2007 when 11-year-old Asmahan Mansour was prevented from playing a match by the Quebec Soccer Federation after she refused to remove her headscarf.
"I do hope and do believe that if common sense does prevail all will be supportive of this, why not?
"I don't like the politics, we are going straight to the point which is to allow all of our players to participate on all levels," Prince Ali said.
In 2010, FIFA adjusted their rules to allow a cap that covers the players heads to the headline but did not extend below the ears to cover the neck.
Discouraged
Asked if he was concerned that Muslim women would turn away from the sport if IFAB fail to permit a full headscarf, Prince Ali said it may already be too late for some.
"Well I think already we have seen that, and I think that is very unfortunate. I think we need to give the right to (play) to everyone across the world and we have to respect each others’ cultures."
FIFA's reluctance to allow the full headscarf on concerns over safety appears overly strict.
Prince Ali, who suggested long hair was more likely to cause injury on the field, said that his findings had not uncovered any hijab-related injuries in women's football matches.
"If you want to have a fancy hairdo, or whatever (it doesn't matter) just let them play and I think there are so many women out there who have the right to do this and participate in this sport.
"If you look at FIFA as well, they spend about 15 percent of their budget on developing women's football but when it comes to playing at this level they are suddenly banned and we have to change that. "
- Prince Ali
"If you look at FIFA as well, they spend about 15 percent of their budget on developing women's football but when it comes to playing at this level they are suddenly banned and we have to change that."
While the campaign has royal approval, members of the Jordanian women's team have used the modern day method of social networking to highlight the campaign.
A Facebook page called 'let us play' has been launched and attracted more than 30,000 'likes', while the players have used national radio to also boost their message.
Prince Ali said he was confident that, with approximately 650 million headscarf wearers globally, the number of Muslim women playing football would rise on the back of the campaign if IFAB reversed their decision.
"I think definitely, definitely. Just give them the opportunity and let them make their choices. It is a game for the world - that's what makes football what it is, it is a very, very special game and therefore we should allow full participation."
sources:http://www.aljazeera.com/sport/football/2012/02/201221011400487443.html
pictures:The Iranian women's team had their Olympic hopes dashed after being penalised for breaking FIFA's ban [EPA]
FIFA firm over Iran Hijab ban
Complaint from Iran falls on deaf ears after women stopped from playing moments before London 2012 Olympic qualifier.
The Iranian women's football team have had their London 2012 Olympic hopes dashed by an unexpected ruling that their women's football team's Islamic dress broke FIFA rules, a football federation official in Tehran said.
FIFA on Monday rejected a complaint from Iran after its women were banned from playing moments before an Olympic qualifier against Jordan last week, due to their full-body strip that includes a head scarf.
The chief of women's affairs at Iran's football federation told the Reuters news agency that Iran had made changes to its women's kit after a FIFA ban last year, and believed it had been given the approval of the world federation and of its president, Sepp Blatter.
"We made the required corrections and played a match afterwards," Farideh Shojaei said.
"We played the next round and were not prevented from doing so, and they didn't find anything wrong. That meant that there are no obstacles in our path, and that we could participate in the Olympics."
FIFA said its match officials were right to stop the team from playing wearing Islamic headscarves.
'Informed thoroughly'
Iranian officials were "informed thoroughly" before Friday's match against Jordan that the hijab scarf covering a women's neck is banned for safety reasons, FIFA said.
The world governing body said that Jordan, some of whose players also wear scarves, accepted the rule and "decided not to select a number of players."
Ready to play: Iran walk out onto the pitch in Amman before the match was halted [Reuters]
"(Iran football federation chief, Ali) Kafashian took it to FIFA and showed it to Mr Sepp Blatter. And they proved that this conduct conforms to the fourth article of the FIFA constitution, which says (a kit should be) devoid of politics or religion," Shojaei said.
"In reality, this kit is neither religious, nor political, nor will it lead to harm a player. They proved this, and Mr Sepp Blatter accepted this and we participated in the Olympics."
FIFA's rules for the 2012 Olympics state: "Players and officials shall not display political, religious, commercial or personal messages or slogans in any language or form on their playing or team kits."
Whatever the result of Iran's complaint, it was unlikely that the team, who were handed a 3-0 defeat in the unplayed qualifier in Amman, would qualify for 2012, Shojaei said.
"It is extremely difficult to predict what results will come out of this, but I think it unlikely because the preliminary games will not be repeated.
"The countries that invested, and spent money and time and took part in the second round will clearly not be willing to repeat these games, especially if this week it becomes clear which team will enter the final round. So it is extremely unlikely."
FIFA banned the hijab in 2007 and has extended the safety rule to include neck warmers, or 'snoods', which had become popular in European leagues last season.
At the 2010 Youth Olympics, Iran's girls covered their hair with specially designed caps.
sources:http://www.aljazeera.com/sport/football/2011/06/201166124927699569.html
pictures:A player is comforted after withdrawing from the match against Jordan in Amman on June 3 [Reuters]
Iran resolve headscarf ban
Women's football team can play at Youth Games after Fifa accept headscarf compromise.
The Iranian girls football team have been told they will be allowed to compete at the Youth Olympics in August, after the sport's governing body offered them a compromise over their head scarves.
Fifa had originally barred the team from competing in a tournament last month, because of its insistence on wearing scarves, which Fifa say are a safety hazard and a politicial and religious statement – in contravention of its rules.
The team – who wear the scarves to protect the modesty of their Islamic players – have now been told they can compete, but only if they swap their scarves for caps which cover their hair.
Iran's football federation said they had sent the proposal to Fifa themselves in an attempt to find middle ground.
"This decision was taken after both the Iran Football Federation as well as the Iran National Olympic Committee confirmed in writing that they will accept a solution whereby the players will not wear their Islamic Hijab during the matches of the competition," Fifa said in a statement on Monday.
"Instead, the players can wear a cap that covers their heads to the hairline, but does not extend below the ears to cover the neck."
Thrilled
Farideh Shojaei, deputy head of Iran's football federation, said the under-15 players were thrilled with the ruling.
"We are very happy. We are hopeful to have a good presence in the coming competitions," Shojaei said.
"We are very happy. The decision has increased the inspiration of our team"
Farideh Shojaei, Iranian football deputy
"The decision has increased the inspiration of our team. They are determined to practise more and more."
The state-run Tehran Times reported that Iranian authorities had consented to allowing the players to wear hats and the team would play at the Youth Olympics.
"We sent Fifa a sample of our new Islamic dress and fortunately they accepted it," said Abbas Torabian, director of the International Relations Committee of Iran Football Federation said.
"They announced that there was no objection if the players covered their hair with hats."
Iran will compete in a six-nation tournament for girls at the Games being held August 12-25 in Singapore.
Around 3,600 athletes aged 14-18 will compete in 26 sports at the inaugural summer Games.
sources:http://www.aljazeera.com/sport/2010/05/201053113834263365.html
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