Football: ‘Hijab not obstacle for women’

Prince Ali of Jordanbelieved the hijab should not prevent Muslim women from joining the Olympics.

AMMAN: Fifa Vice-President for Asia Prince Ali of Jordan, who waged a campaign against a ban on the hijab, believed the traditional Islamic headscarf should not prevent Muslim women from joining the Olympics. “I think that the hijab will not hinder the participation of Muslim women in the Olympic Games,” Ali told AFP in an interview. “The Games will be a great opportunity for Arab and Muslim women to show their capabilities and prove themselves.” However, Fifa banned players from wearing the Islamic headscarf in 2007, claiming that it was unsafe, but the International Football Association Board (IFAB) allowed women players last month to wear the hijab. “Safety is important of course, but to date, there have been no reported injuries due the headscarf on the pitch,” said Ali.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 30^th, 2012.