Taylor+and+Jordan

[|Muslim Women Earn Soccer Scarves] **Abstract:**This article is showing the development of women's soccer and women's freedom of expression. In 2007 FIFA, an international association of soccer, banned the wearing of headscarves because of safety reasons. As a result, an uproar of controversy followed especially people of Muslim religion. However, in March of 2012 FIFA has allowed women to wear headscarves. This time around it will be equipped with velcro instead of safety pins. FIFA has allowed a four month experimental testing program in which women will play soccer with the scarves on. Much of the uproar was not only due to the ban of headscarves, but also a recent incident that happened in 2012. In a qualifying match against Jordan, the Iranian women's soccer team took the pitch wearing headscarves. This led to the referee declaring that Iran had violated strict rules and were forced to forfeit the match to Jordan. For the 2012 Olympics in London, the Iranian women's soccer team will not be allowed to participate. However, this incident also sparked Jordan's prince, Ali Bin Al Hussein to advocate on behalf of the Iranian soccer team to push for a more liberal approach to the ban since he is a vice president for FIFA. There have also been other incidents in which headscarves had led to either a person being ejected or forfeiting. In Canada a referee was excluded and barred from refereeing games due to a headscarf. However, there are Muslim athletes today who do participate in athletics while wearing the headgear. For example, Nawal El Moutawakel who wore a headscarf and won the gold medal for the hurdles in the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984. **Jordan's Response:**For me, I thought this article was alarming and eye opening. I play soccer, it is my favorite sport and I haven't seen one female participate while wearing a headscarf. I personally think it would be very difficult for a person to do this. However, I think that it is great to see that FIFA is looking for a more liberal approach to religions and trying to accommodate the Iranian women's soccer team by allowing a four month trial. I hope that not only women, but men and everyone can live their life regardless of their religion. Muslims should be able to wear the headscarves and play because it is their religion and sports shouldn't be a means to neglect that. **Taylor's Response:**I think that player safety is a very important issue when it comes to sports, but when FIFA banned the the Iranian women's soccer team for wearing headscarfs I thought that was a litte extreme. Although the Iranian women's soccer team had fair warning of what would happen if they continued to wear the headscarfs, it seems very a little stereo typical and rascist. It is awesome that now FIFA is allowing women to try new safe headscarfs allowing them to practice their right to play sports and religon.

**Discussion Questions:**Was it right or wrong for FIFA to ban the use of headscarves in 2007, citing that it was a safety issue?Should the Iranian soccer team be banned from the 2012 Olympics because of headscarves?