Along the way, she made history by becoming the first NCAA Division-I athlete to play in a basketball game while wearing hijab — covering her arms and legs with long sleeves, with a headscarf to cover her hair. (In 2004, University of South Florida forward Andrea Armstrong won the right to wear hijab after challenging a team rule prohibiting it, but she left the team before appearing in a game.) For Abdul-Qaadir’s groundbreaking efforts, she was presented with the “Most Courageous” award by the United States Basketball Writers Association at the 2011 Final Four. But today, the same hijab that once brought Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir national acclaim has created a roadblock to her dream of playing professional basketball. The sport’s international governing body, FIBA, has a rule prohibiting players from wearing headscarves on the court. As recently as 2009, FIBA defended the rule as one designed to prevent injuries as well as maintain a “religiously neutral” environment, identifying the hijab as a religious symbol. (FIBA has not, however, taken any action against religious tattoos, such as crosses.) More recently, the organization has backed away from the religious aspect and has upheld the rule on the grounds that headscarves are not part of the “official uniform.” ummahsports.net/2014/05/16/is-pro-basketball-ready-for-bilqis-abdul-qaadir/
Posted on: Mon, 19 May 2014 04:11:51 +0000
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