Iran's girls football team, banned from Olympics.

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.telegraph....or-wearing-hijab.html

/// The hijab is worn by girls and women to observe Islamic dress code.///

Is it only Iran that fields a woman's team?

If not will the ban apply to all Muslim women's teams, no matter what country?

[Ankou]

it never seemed to apply to the indian mens olympic hockey team though, oddly enough.

http://1.bp.blogspot....ndian-hockey-team.jpg

[jno]

is it that clear, Ankou? Basic compulsory equipment must not have religious statements; but there doesn't seem to be anything saying headgear is basic compulsory equipment. If it's extra, it's not covered (so to speak). Don't footballers wear black armbands occasionally, for instance?

[Ankou]

yes i think it is jno.

"political, religious or personal slogans or statements" are banned.

i wouldnt consider a black armband as any of those, and they are often only used at say one match - not a whole tournament. also, etiquette dictates that permission to wear them has to be obtained from the match official prior to the match.

i suppose it would depend on the reason for the armband - i am assuimg only the death of a person who had close affiliation to the club. but for an other (lets say, irregular purpose) then the ref would refuse permission.

[jno]

but only banned on the compulsory equipment? (I haven't checked the laws, I'm going on what TCL posted). I'm not sure if black armbands are a personal statement or not - if permission must be sought I guess they're acceptable, but that also suggests they're not on a banned list despite not being covered in the 'compulsory equipment' list.

I also see FIFA firmly disapproves of religious discrimination.

I'd love to be a lawyer taking this case on...

[Ankou]

jno, i was going by the link.

"The team of a player whose basic compulsory equipment has political, religious or personal slogans or statements will be sanctioned by the competition organiser or by FIFA."

The hijab issue was first examined in 2007 after an 11-year-old girl in Canada was prevented from wearing one for safety reasons.

FIFA's rules-making arm, the International Football Association Board, declined to make an exception for religious clothing.

[TCL-MUMPING]

Naomi24 said, " You can't expect to find a new rule in a list of old ones. It's obviously just been added."

"“On 1 July 2009, the new Laws of the Game, modified at the 123rd Annual General Meeting of the International Football Association Board (IFAB) in Newcastle, Northern Ireland on 28 February 2009, came into force.”

http://www.fifa.com/w...ll/lawsofthegame.html

This is the agenda for the IFAB meeting held in March this year

http://www.fifa.com/m...39/ifabagenda2010.pdf

No mention of Law 4 that I can see


You’re a big fan of the word “obviously” so obviously you can find the rule stating the hijab is banned

[naomi24]

I doubt you'd get far on religious discrimination. It appears to be a new rule formulated for health and safety reasons, and as such must apply across the board.

[TCL-MUMPING]

Has anyone actually seen the law banning the hijab?

[naomi24]

I don't need to find a rule in a report dated July 2009 or March 2010. The link dated 6 April 2010 reports the new ruling.

[Ankou]

it was the decision of a referee in canada - as i mentioned above. this decision was challenged and upheld by fifa/ifab in a conference - therefore the precendence was set.

[TCL-MUMPING]

Headgear is not part of the basic compulsory equipment. I would be challenging the ruling if it were up to me as their own Laws do not justify the decision

[Ankou]

you and many people tcl. but as said, fifa wont budge.

[naomi24]

In your opinion, but not in theirs - and theirs is the one that counts.

[naomi24]

^^That was to TCL Mumping.

[Ankou]

obviously.

surprised you didn't say that.

[naomi24]

Ah, Ankou, you've learnt something new. There's a clever boy. Have a gold star for paying attention. ;o)

[Ankou]

thats something my old granny would say. or my old headteacher who was about 60 when i was 7.

i guess thats the image you were aiming for.

[naomi24]

Ha ha! Me, aiming for an image? What a strange idea. You are funny, Ankou, really you are.

[Quinlad]

LWJs.

[jno]

I'm with TCL: unless there's some secret law, the FIFA ban, though it undoubtedly exists, doesn't seem in accordance with its own rules, or its own mission to stamp out religious and racial discrimination. It may have been done purely on 'safety' grounds; I can't think what these might be, but perhaps their decision spells it out somehow.