Young Athlete Asked To Remove ‘Hijab’ For Volleyball Match; Brings Back Focus On Religious Clothing

The referee stirred the controversy by citing a casebook rule saying the young player will need to get authorisation from Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association to wear the headscarf during the match.

(Image: Getty)

New Delhi: In a new ‘hijab’ controversy, a high school volleyball player in the US' Tennessee had been disqualified for sporting a hijab during the match. As per the CNN report, Najah Aqeel, a freshman at Valor Collegiate Prep in Nashville, was not allowed to play after the referee spotted her when she was warming up for a match on September 15. The referee had cited a casebook rule, and stated that the young player will need to get authorisation from Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association to wear the headscarf. Najah, who had both the choices including the removal of hijab or sit out of the match, but she decided to opt out. "I was angry, sad and also shocked just because I had never heard of the rule before that," Najah told CNN. "The rule has no business being in the casebook. It singles out hijabis. I don't see why I need approval to wear my hijab when it is a part of my religion." However, according to Karissa Niehoff, executive director for The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFSH) which sets competition rules for most US high school sports, uniform guidelines are not hard rules and states can make exceptions. The executive director said the group association is preparing to introduce new changes to its casebook pertaining to religious headwear so that it will no longer be an issue in the future, unless it poses a danger to the player or other athletes. Meanwhile, Sabina Mohyuddin, executive director of the American Muslim Advisory Council, as per the CNN report is counselling the Aqeel family to resolve the matter while citing it's an issue of Constitutional rights. In 2019, French sportswear retailer Decathlon has to shelve its plan to sell a hijab for women runners in France following a public outcry. French politicians said the "running hijab" contradicted the country's secular values, and some lawmakers suggested a boycott of the brand.