CHICAGO TRIBUNE
BUDAPEST (Reuters) – Evidence from FIFA’s medical experts on why the ban on Muslim women footballers wearing the Islamic headscarf or hijab should remain in place was deeply flawed and had no foundation, the campaign’s principal supporter said on Friday.
Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein of Jordan, whose presentation to soccer’s law-making body IFAB six weeks ago saw the approval of the headscarf pending health and safety checks, said he was “shocked and disturbed” by the evidence presented on Thursday.
The IFAB, or International Football Association Board, comprises FIFA and the four British Home Associations.
Michel D’Hooghe of Belgium, the head of FIFA’s medical committee, said he would only recommend to the extraordinary IFAB meeting on July 5 in Zurich that extra tests should be carried out on the headscarf which is crucial to millions of Muslim women playing the game all over the world.
Prince Ali, the youngest member of FIFA’s executive committee, declined to comment when asked if he faced opposition from the committee’s older, more conservative officials but there was no hiding his anger when he spoke on Friday.
“I was shocked when I heard about Dr D’Hooghe’s press conference on Thursday. We covered all the issues raised including heat coming out of the head, breathable material, the neck issue.
“I was very disturbed by the comments he made. I am usually not very emotional but this is very important.
“There are women serving in combat zones across the world and many of them are wearing the headscarves so I am disturbed by this being used as an argument. All we are asking is for women to be allowed to play football.
“This affects many, many Muslim women. I hope this issue is being treated with the same respect and seriousness that other issues are, for example goal-line technology.”
Categories: Sports