Injustice
I Believe That Hijabs and Soccer Can Coexist Peacefully
Unfortunately, some other people don’t think so. You may or may not have heard about the recent controversy here in Canada – 11 year old Asmahan Mansour was pulled out of a soccer game she was playing in (part of a tournament) due to her wearing a hijaab, by (of all people!) a Muslim referee. The weird thing is, she’d played in two games previously, in the same tournament, and nobody made a big deal out of it.
Long story short, it seems that she just can’t wear the hijaab and play soccer in the province of Quebec, but it’s okay everywhere else.
For more facts, click here.
John Moore of the National Post volunteers some rare sensible thoughts on the issue, pointing out the ridiculousness of thinking that an 11-year-old muhajjibah soccer player is threatening Canada’s identity.
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Hamza Moin aka Maniac Muslim also has something to say on the subject, check it out! Four Die In Hijaab Massacre!
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Abdul-Quddus
March 17, 2007 at 3:25 AM
Four died? Now Irshad Manji finally has supporting evidence and an excuse not to cover herself with the Health-Hazardous Hijaab!
Manas Shaikh
March 17, 2007 at 4:38 AM
I heard about that incident. The good part is, of all people, it was the coach that decided to stand up for her. That is indeed a good sign.
abu ameerah
March 17, 2007 at 4:16 PM
As’Salaamu Alaikum wa’Rahmatullah…
“Now Irshad Manji finally has supporting evidence and an excuse not to cover herself with the Health-Hazardous Hijaab”
Abdul Quddus:
I can’t believe that you being soooo unfair to Irshad Manji akhi. Irshad is not concerned with the “health-hazardous” nature of the hijab….rather….she is worried that if she, herself, were to don such restrictive fundamentalist garb — then her very active social life would be seriously curtailed.
Basically, Irashad Manji would no longer be the ladies…uhh…lady…or “ladies man” if she put on a Hijab. After all, some of those GLAAD (female) activists may have caught the eye of “lil Miss Apostate” (Manji).
To be fair though, I believe that if GLAAD did come out with a “hers and hers” matching Hijab set — sporting the organizations logo with a rainbow flag color scheme — Manji might be more than a little interested (if you catch my drift).
lol…
abu ameerah
March 17, 2007 at 4:21 PM
should be:
“that you being soooo unfair”
that you ARE being soooo…
should be:
“…if she put on a Hijab”
if she PUTS on a….
I really needs to complete my ejumucation…
ExEx Blogger
March 17, 2007 at 6:07 PM
I don’t know but sisters running around in clothes tight on the skin playing soccer wouldn’t be suitable at all. Why wear the hijab then? I bet they are wearing the hijab so that they protect themselves from the brothers. But since revealing the image/outline of the body is not allowed, why not just play in an indoor soccer stadium with only women. Then you don’t need the hijab!!!
AnonyMouse
March 17, 2007 at 9:28 PM
Manas: Yes, I was happily surprised that her coach and team supported her and also joined the protest against the hijaab ban…
ExEx Blogger: The girl is 11 years old, and from what I saw (in the pictures) she wore baggy pants and a long shirt while playing…
Umm Layth
March 17, 2007 at 10:39 PM
The real issue comes down to whether or not she is considered a woman now in the Shar`iah. The answer is quite clear if she is considered a woman. She could even be wearing a long overgarment (not pants or a shirt) while playing and I still know the answer is quite clear, if men are watching.
If so, asking the scholars about the permissibility of playing soccer where men can see her move around and so on, is the thing to do.
AnonyMouse
March 18, 2007 at 1:01 AM
Umm Layth: Hmmmm… good point. But I guess it’d be sorta tough to find out that bit of ‘personal/sensitive’ info… :S
I think that we ought to give her the benefit of the doubt – that she still hasn’t reached the age of puberty – and therefore it’s permissable for her to play soccer on an all-girls’ team (it *is* permissable, isn’t it?), however disliked it is that men are able to watch her as she plays…
Umm Layth
March 18, 2007 at 2:05 AM
There isn’t any reason as to why it would be wrong for any girl/woman to play sports etc… with females, where no men can see them. Obviously, the `awrah of women in front of women is different than that of women in front of ghayr maharim men.
I know there are women out there that believe a little scarf (proper word: khimaar) with this and that is enough and that running around in front of men doesn’t matter but that is incorrect. It wouldn’t just be makruh, it would clearly be haram for men to be watching women playing soccer and all that.
As for the kuffar and their ideas, they are really pathetic but we just gotta know our own limits within our deen before we start fighting for ‘rights’ that may not be ‘rights’ in the Shari`ah. I guess that’s just something we gotta understand better. Yeah, they may step on us but let us make sure we aren’t stepping our Rabb’s boundaries.
inexplicabletimelessness
March 18, 2007 at 3:30 AM
As salaamu alaikum wa rahmatullaah,
Sorry but the title of this post reminded me of something really funny someone once said! :D
I’ll post the quote and whoever guesses who said it can win a prize:
“I believe human beings and fish can co-exist peacefully” :D :D :D
anon
March 18, 2007 at 4:42 AM
I’m not quite sure what the problem is with playing sports where men can see you. She’s just a young girl for starters and if you’re properly covered than who cares? It’s not like you’d be running around wearing some beach-volleyball bikini outfit. If its so bad for a man to see me than shouldn’t I just wear a burka or niqab all the time or better yet not even venture out of my house ever? I don’t get it. My parents always encouraged me to get involved with sports and other activities both middleschool and highschool (girls only btw) even though our practice areas weren’t women only and men could watch if they chose to.
About the actual incident what I found most astonishing was that the referee was muslim. For him of all people to ban a hijabi is just so completely strange. Especially considering that the other referees (who were most likely non-muslim) had no problem since she apparently played in other tournaments before the one in question. I well say however that people from Quebec are notoriously racist and xenophobic. They don’t even like “real” Canadians who don’t speak French.
Umm Layth
March 18, 2007 at 5:14 AM
It’s great to be involved in sports and that isn’t really the concern here.
We’ve all been commanded to lower our gaze and to dress in a certain manner for a reason. Even if women were covered fully, it would not make it permissible for men to sit and watch women run around for entertainment.
khawla hurayrah
March 18, 2007 at 9:20 AM
Assalamu’alaikum
sister inexplicable….. that’s so funny.
Anyone can answer that quiz!!! still don’t know? google it.
I think sister Mouse purposely designed that title.
It is like saying “I believe that Islam and “pro-regressiveness” can co-exist peacefully!!!
At first, I really wanted to point out my doubts about hijab and soccer, like the issues of:
*haya… sisters, shouting and screaming for the world to watch
*mingling with oposite gender
*traveling without Mahram
*immitating the kuffar….until they hit their goal to the lizard hole
*wasting time on organized sport events
*the best jihad for sisters…. in the soccer field!!!
*the best role models…. are the soccer players
*worst of all…missing prayers at the game
hello!!!
AnonyMouse
March 18, 2007 at 3:40 PM
LOL, I was wondering if anyone would get it! :D Yep, I did that to the post’s title on purpose… :P
Back to the issue of soccer and hijaab – like sister Anon, my parents’ve encouraged me to be physically active as well… however, whatever I’ve done (kickboxing; volleyball; basketball, etc.) has *always* been done in a private facility, in an all-females environment, and with proper covering (long loose shirts and pants).
As for the young sister who’s at the heart of this particular matter, I really don’t know what to say… none of us here knows her (or *does* someone here know her?!), so there’s nothing we can actually do about it…
inexplicabletimelessness
March 19, 2007 at 7:20 PM
As salaamu alaikum:
You will find out who said the quote here :D :D :D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xq956JmU1LE&eurl
Pingback: muslimmatters.org » Canada: A Nation of Bigots?
JALEES
October 23, 2007 at 1:47 AM
DEAR BROTHER,
iT IS ALL SINCE WE LEFT THE PATHWAY SHOWN BY OUR LEADER-THE HOLY PRPHET-PEACE OF ALLAH ON HIM-.WE ALL R STRUGGLING AND ANSWER LIES IN THE LOVE AND FOLLOWING OF OUR LEADER-THE HOLY PROPHET-PEACE OF ALLAH ON HIM.ONLY THE PERSONALITY OF OUR ETERNAL LEADER CAN UNITE US
SrAnonymous
October 23, 2007 at 12:45 PM
Some people talk, some people walk, this sister jogs…. in a jilbab!
http://balancect.com/
She’s the jilbabi in the photo on the far left
You may have seen her, she’s the Muslim fitness instructor featured on Oprah.
AnonyMouse
October 23, 2007 at 12:53 PM
Wow, looks interesting!
I’m just hoping that the pic of the muscle-woman isn’t of her… :p
jalees
October 24, 2007 at 1:49 AM
it is the question of strict believing.The Bush sahib reads his bible every day believing it is word of God-though this bible has been written by so many desciples and quotes and has many versions.We dont believe as we should.We should stick to our rules not others.The so called democracy allows one to roam naked but a simple hijab teases them a lot-though the NUNS also wear a hijab like that.The world Muslim is an abuse for them and the Quran told us many years ago they can not be happy with until y start obeying them and we r doing the same
Pingback: muslimmatters.org » The Forgotten Hijab Ban: “I just couldn’t take it off another time!”
Muslima
May 11, 2010 at 2:27 AM
Of course you can play soccer when you’re wearing hijab! You can even play soccer pretty normally in jilbab, as well as volleyball and basketball. And if you’re playing on a all-female team, then khalas, you’re wearing hijab and that’s that!
This part really annoyed me, as a jilbabi with an aunt who’s a NIQABI who loves sports.
“*haya… sisters, shouting and screaming for the world to watch
*mingling with oposite gender
*traveling without Mahram
*immitating the kuffar….until they hit their goal to the lizard hole
*wasting time on organized sport events
*the best jihad for sisters…. in the soccer field!!!
*the best role models…. are the soccer players
*worst of all…missing prayers at the game”
You don’t need to shout and scream when you’re playing football, and I dissaprove of this for men as well as women because haya in actions is equally prescribed for BOTH genders.
Mingling with the opposite gender? What’s wrong with that? What’s haram is to be ALONE with one person of the opposite gender without a mahram. Remember please that a mahram can be your male relatives, OTHER WOMEN and little children! There is no such thing as ‘some mahram are MORE mahram than other mahram.” How does that even make sense? And anyway, the girl is playing on an all-female team!
“Traveling without mahram”, is for more than TWO DAYS, sister, and anyways the girl has plenty of mahram, OTHER WOMEN, with her! And some scholars are debating whether this was simply because travel used to be by camel and dangerous. The Prophet, peace be upon him, has another hadith in which he says that one day a time will come when a woman can travel alone in perfect safety from such a place to such a place. Why would he have said that if it was so terrible for a woman to travel alone?
“Imitating the kuffar’. So if children play hopscotch they’re imitating the kuffar? If we open malls we’re imitating the kuffar? If we use air conditioning we’re imitating the kuffar? Imitating the kuffar, dear sister, means doing what a kaffir SPECIFICALLY does for his deen, such as wearing the orange robed of a Buddhist monk. And why is it imitating the kuffar when women do it, but applauded by the King of Saudi Arabia himself when men do?
“Wasting time on organized sports events”. Astaghfirulla. The Prophet -peace and prayers be upon him- HIMSELF used to run horse races and race with his wife Aisha, radiya Allahu anha. Muhammed Ali, the famous boxer, has done so much dawa through his Islam and sports! What is wrong with sports? Where does Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala say that sports are a waste of time? Why is it a waste of time for women but not for men?
“The best jihad for sisters”, yes, in fact, this girl is making a wonderful jihad by showing that Muslim girls can play sports just as well as kuffar can! Think about how worldwide an issue this is if I can sit here half-way across the world and talk about it!
“The best role models” yes, don’t you agree? It’s wonderful that Muslim women will be able to look up to MUSLIM sportswomen instead of kuffar, and see how these ladies practise their religion AND keep their bodies fit so that when Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala asks them if they kept the bodies He gave them healthy, they can say yes!
“Missing prayers at the game”. Who said she missed her prayers? My aunt (NIQABI) used to play organized soccer, then go and BREAK HER FAST AND PRAY MAGHRIB at prayer time! If people are missing their salat, then that’s because not enough Muslims are out there at sports making sure that the sports times are halal!
As for men watching women, so is it haram for women to watch men? They’re not staring at her exposed body as they would with a kafir sportswoman (and you don’t have a problem with skin-tight skiing but you do with a hijabi soccer player?) and they’re not watching her for sexuality or anything haram, so what’s wrong with it? Why do you think it is haram for men to see women? That’s pretty ridiculous, if you ask me. What are we supposed to do, lock ourselves up at home? Women regularly walked outdoors, went to the market, watched horse-races and training, and the Prophet -peace and prayer be upon him- never had a problem, so why are you making haram what is halal? And come on, WTH wouldn’t she be ‘recognized as a woman’ in the Sharia? So if a woman plays sports she turns into a man? Where does Allah ta’ala and his Messenger say that?