Muslim Girl Back on Basketball Court After Being Benched for Wearing Headscarf

[Omaha Steve]

Source: parentdish.com (AOL)

by Mary Beth Sammons

A 12-year-old Muslim girl, benched and forced to miss the first half of her playoff basketball game because of the religious headscarf she wears, is back on the court in full hijab.

A CBS Baltimore TV station reports a referee pulled Maheen Haq, a seventh grader from Hagerstown, Md., out of the Jan. 15 game, saying her headwear posed a safety threat. However, the girl was allowed to play the second half wearing the hijab after a league administrator granted her a religious exemption.

"I was upset a little bit 'cause I really wanted to play and I enjoy playing basketball," Maheen tells CBS.

But her mother says there was more to it.

Read more: http://www.parentdish.com/2011/01/20/muslim-girl-back-on-basketball-court-after-being-benched-for-wea/?icid=maing|main5|dl9|sec1_lnk2|37922_aim

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Had this happened to my daughter when she played the game, I would have come unglued. ACLU Ne. won a case similar to this 2-3 years ago.

[derby378]

1. I would have raised the safety issue, too, except...

...in Saudi Arabia, women who just can't resist jumping in the sea for a swim are able to purchase full-body abaya-style suits that provide ample coverage of curves while still allowing arms and legs to move freely, thus enabling women to swim to their heart's content without drawing the ire of the country's religious police.

[elleng]

2. OMG! Just learned

that she + family are friends of friend of mine, her father is their family physician, and they celebrated at my friend's restaurant couple days later. Thank goodness that reason prevailed!

p.s., I live in Hagerstown, MD.

[Name removed]

3. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[uppityperson]

4. womyn, we are teh evil. mens cannot control themselves so must contrul us

If someone choses, freely, then it is their choice. But I agree, the bs behind men can't control themselves when around we womens sucks.

[Violet_Crumble]

7. According to the post you replied to, women don't choose freely...

Here's what they said: 'As far as I'm concerned, women insisting on these scarves are just like the anti-choice, dirt poor bible thumpers in the US who constantly vote against their best interests.'

Yep. Obviously us women are just too damn stupid and helpless to be capable of making our own decisisions :sarcasm:

[uppityperson]

10. Some do chose, some don't. Some see it as an option, some as the only way.

Some are too helpless, to uninformed. Some aren't. It can be difficult to figure out which sometimes.

[elleng]

5. Have same thoughts, but try not to concentrate on it.

Similar kind of stuff for Orthodox Jews.

[Violet_Crumble]

6. Don't worry. You just sound like someone who wants to dictate what women can and can't wear...

As far as I'm concerned, women insisting on these scarves are just like the anti-choice, dirt poor bible thumpers in the US who constantly vote against their best interests.

Oh, bullshit. If I want to wear a hat or a scarf, it's none of yr business. Deal with it and give other women the same respect you'd demand for yrself...

[boppers]

8. Hm....

If only there was some underlying reason, some unifying pattern, that I could find here....

[uppityperson]

11. Uniforms, anonymity, can have its uses and misuses

Positive use: people must take you for who you are, not how you look. You don't have to dress up to appeal to anyone, just are who your most basic "you-ness" are.

Negative: getting stuck in a box, not taken for who you are but as a stereotyped (pick a category). Can be dehumanizing.

Not sure if this makes sense. Talking to a friend who wore uniforms at an all girls school, said it was nice to not have to spend time, energy over fashions, makeup, flirting over boys. But it can also be oppressive, to hold women down, to dehumanize them.

[leftynyc]

15. Uh - which one risks

getting killed for not wearing those garments (not all but to me, even 1 is too many)? Which one wont be allowed out of their house without it? I have no beef with the head scarf nonsense but the garments that turn women into ghosts (abayas and burquas) make my blood boil.

[Kurska]

9. The ref was right, it is a safety issue.

What if it falls off and someone trips? What if someone inadvertently grabs it and it snaps her neck back? It has the potential to hurt not only herself, but to also hurt others, frankly it is irresponsible. Basketball and medieval religious practices don't mix. If someone was trying to play basketball in a full nun outfit it would be just as crazy.

[uppityperson]

12. Do all the young women have to have short hair? What if someone inadvertently grabs a pony tail and

snaps her neck back? Basketball and pony tails have potential to hurt both people and are irresponsible, right?

I can see trying to play basketball with a full whimple might be difficult, what with the vision blocking, but yes, nuns do play basketball.

[tomg]

13. What I found really optimistic

was this:

"The team volunteered to forfeit the game, and parents of her teammates are expressing their outrage with the situation."

[AwareOne]

14. Why was it an issue now

and not during the regular season? They say this was a playoff game, did she wear it all year?

[elleng]

17. Probably, and no issue then.

Sounds like playoff ref not familiar.

[The Stranger]

16. Now if someone were a real American, . . .

. . . they'd patent and begin manufacturing the "Sports Hijab" -- perfect for that basketball game, tennis court, or jogging, and okayed by all the top imams, brought to your door, and that number again is 1-800-SPORTSHIJAB. Operators are waiting. Call now!

[elleng]

18. Probably have; looking for it now!

edit: This is Maheen with her scarf:

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2011/01/20/2011-01-20_maryland_youth_basketball_league_forces_12yearold_to_sit_because_of_her_religiou.html

[elleng]

19. Various styles:

http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&sugexp=ldymls&xhr=t&q=hijab&cp=5&qe=SGFqYWI&qesig=yZu1LkCnbAFcXBcv5TxQAQ&pkc=AFgZ2tldWxA7LZupeytmeB2bepYK27TgczwrxZzcj0GV9igZcBau2EelWfq3lKDh1qNmxxf0M8lGPtH8xZ_tUuA_uoq-5t0u3g&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=KRk6TZPpCofTgQfKzOz0CA&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=2&sqi=2&ved=0CE0QsAQwAQ&biw=1331&bih=649

Maheem + scarf:

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2011/01/20/2011-01-20_maryland_youth_basketball_league_forces_12yearold_to_sit_because_of_her_religiou.html