There has been much outcry over the case of 11-year-old soccer player Asmahan Mansour, who was ordered off the playing field at a recent Quebec tournament for wearing a hijab, the traditional head scarf worn by many Muslim women.
The referee, also Muslim, explained that wearing the hijab while playing soccer could cause “accidental strangulation.” How a hijab could cause such injury is unclear, however, and FIFA (soccer’s international governing body) does not have any rules specifically regarding this question. Rule 4 of FIFA regulations, which deals with clothing, states only, “A player must not use equipment or wear anything that is dangerous to himself or any other player (including any kind of jewellery).” No mention is made of a hijab and no specifics are given for what constitutes “dangerous” clothing. In fact, the members of the Iranian women’s national team do wear hijabs, and seem to play without impediment.
However, let’s assume for a moment that a hijab is potentially dangerous to the player. Soccer players do frequently use their heads to direct the ball, and some scarves are quite long and could potentially get in the players’ way. If a hijab were indeed deemed to be potentially dangerous in sporting situations, the solution seems quite simple. Players can wear a shorter head scarf, known as a “sport hijab.” The safety of a player should always come before her religion. After all, if the person is strangled, they surely will not be able to worship.
This reasoning can be extended to other religions as well. The United Kingdom has exempted Sikhs who wear turbans from wearing motorcycle crash helmets while driving. This is an irresponsible decision because it puts citizens at risk. Safety first, religion second-even the Indian Armed Forces does not allow its Sikh pilots to wear the turban, since the helmet is a crucial part of their equipment. While the soccer referee’s claims might make no sense-it’s unlikely that the hijab could actually cause injury-it’s best to err on the side of caution and consider the larger issue at hand: the well-being of the player.
