SHAH ALAM, 28 Apr: The right to wear the Hijab (veil) by female athletes is a human right that should be respected and given full encouragement to dress in accordance with Islamic law.
The Women Chief of the IKRAM Malaysia, Datin Paduka Che Asmah Ibrahim, said that Islam itself does not prohibit women from being involved in sports, but it should be appropriate to the demands of Islam.
“It has been proposed that it would be better is women sports can be separated to take place in a closed environment so that the covering of their bodies (awrah) is guaranteed.
“If it can be done, there are no obstacles for Muslim to continue in sports,” she said when contacted by Selangor Kini.
Asmah said that the problem of women wearing Hijabs came up when international level sports banned women from wearing Hijabs during matches.
“It happened during the Asian Sports Games in Incheon, South Korea, when the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) did not not allow the Qatar women’s team to compete because they were wearing Hijabs.
“The action is a discrimination against Muslim women worldwide,” she said.
IKRAM women urge all parties to defend the right for women to wear Hijabs by allowing them to wear sports clothing that covers their awrah.
NS
