Muslim lifter tries to compete and remain faithful

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doggie (06/11/11 10:03:43)

 

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Now this is a good story. but why is it everyone and every thing has to change to accommodate someone's religion but those religious people don't have to change so fit in what they are trying to do?

 

 

 

PAUL NEWBERRY

Published: Jun 9, 2011

 

 

In this March 13, 2010, photo provided by Kulsoom Abdullah via her website on Thursday, June 9, 2011, Abdullah competes in the 2010 Open Champs at the Branch weightlifting event in Flowery Branch, Ga. Abdullah, a 35-year-old Atlantan, has been barred from entering the U.S. senior nationals in Iowa next month because her Muslim faith requires that she cover her arms, legs and head, which violates international rules governing weightlifting attire. (AP Photo/Kulsoom Abdullah)

 

ATLANTA (AP) - Looking to get stronger, Kulsoom Abdullah took up weightlifting a couple of years ago. She quickly grew to love the male-dominated sport, entering local competitions and even allowing herself to dream of one day making it to the Olympics.

 

She'd like to see how far this passion might take her, but not if it means compromising her religious beliefs.

 

Seems perfectly reasonable.

 

Yet Abdullah, a 35-year-old Atlantan, has been barred from entering the U.S. senior nationals in Iowa next month. The problem: Her Muslim faith requires that she cover her arms, legs and head - which violates international rules governing weightlifting attire.

 

"I'd hate to think that just because you dress a certain way, you can't participate in sports," Abdullah said Thursday. "I don't want other women who dress like me to say, 'I can't get involved in that sport' and get discouraged. It would be nice to have an environment where it wouldn't be an issue of how you dress or having different beliefs and faiths."

 

She's right. It's time for sports to show the rest of society how to bridge the gap between legitimate concerns and religious tolerance.

 

"What we hear all the time is, 'You've got to empower Muslim women around the world,'" said Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, which has taken up Abdullah's cause. "Well, how can you empower a Muslim woman more than being a weightlifter? She should be encouraged and helped along in this process. There shouldn't be arbitrary roadblocks placed in her path."

 

Abdullah got a bit of good news Thursday when USA Weightlifting agreed to take her case to the IWF later this month.

 

This, of course, is a bigger issue than any one sport, any single athlete.

 

We've seen virulent protests erupt over plans to build an Islamic center near the site of the World Trade Center in New York. We've heard Muslims complain about being singled out in France, where authorities have tried to enforce the nation's secular foundations with a ban on burqa-style veils.

 

It's an ongoing struggle in sports, too - with some compromise, but not nearly enough.

 

Muslim women have competed in track and field wearing neck-to-ankle bodysuits and the traditional headscarf known as a hijab, most notably Roqaya Al-Gassra of Bahrain, who made it to the semifinals of the 200 meters at the Beijing Olympics.

 

Then again, Iran's female soccer team recently had to forfeit an Olympic qualifier match in Jordan because the players wanted to wear Islamic head scarves. International governing body FIFA, which hasn't exactly come across as the most upstanding institution in recent weeks, defended its decision by saying the scarves are banned for safety reasons.

 

As if to show it wasn't singling out any particular religion, the organization also has prohibited neck warmers used during chilly winter matches in the English Premier League. FIFA president Sepp Blatter said the so-called "snoods" could be used to "hang somebody."

 

Hey, if soccer is worried about someone trying to strangle a player by grabbing a hijab or a neck warmer, there are bigger issues to address. And Iran's youth team already had been allowed to take the field last year at a major Olympic-style event wearing specially designed caps that protected their modesty.

 

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad weighed in the latest row, describing FIFA as "dictators and colonialists who want to impose their lifestyle on others." As tough as this is to say, the open-collared despot is right about this one.

 

Every religion has its own peculiarities, which might seem odd to those on the outside but are perfectly reasonable to the faithful. Stifling religious traditions and practices is a very slippery slope indeed, one that sport should make every effort to avoid.

 

Of course, there are rules that might run afoul of a particular religion but legitimately prevent someone from gaining an unfair advantage. For instance, swimming has banned high-tech bodysuits that led to a rash of world records, ruling they compromised the integrity of the sport. These days, females can only wear shoulder-to-knee suits that leave their arms and lower legs exposed.

 

If a Muslim women wanted to wear a full-coverage swim suit on religious grounds, she would clearly have an advantage in the pool.

 

Abdullah isn't trying to gain any sort of competitive edge, however.

 

She merely wants to abide by her beliefs when she's snatching a bar full of weights above her head. When first starting out, she was allowed to enter local meets wearing garb that made her comfortable on the inside and out: Loose-fitting exercise pants, a tight-fitting long-sleeve shirt with a T-shirt over it, and the head scarf.

 

As she attempted to move up to higher-level competitions, she ran up against International Weightlifting Federation rules, which forbid suits that cover either the knees or elbows because judges must be able to see that both have been locked out to complete a lift.

 

OK, that's understandable. But Abdullah said a tight-fitting shirt allows judges to get a good look at her elbows. And, if it meant ensuring a level playing field, she'd certainly be willing to wear a leg covering that conforms to her religion but allows the judges to determine whether she's completed a lift. Considering all the advances in athletic apparel, that shouldn't be a major issue.

 

If the IWF agrees to alter its rules, she might still get a chance to do some snatches and clean-and-jerks at next month's national meet. While she's not yet lifting at an Olympic level, she hasn't given up on that dream.

 

"She's not seeking any kind of advantage. She's seeking to maintain her religious principles," Hooper said. "In an atmosphere of goodwill, these things can always be resolved."

 

Seems perfectly reasonable.

 

[treemom]

Barbaro.fhotd64476 (06/11/11 10:08:51)

What do the judges say? Can we get one who's seen these suits and judged weightlifting competitions with the athletes wearing them?

Kathryn31 (06/11/11 10:28:24)

I think as long as someone checks the clothing she should be able to wear her clothes but she needs to follow whatever guidelines are set up for the Muslim athletes. I believe that women from these countries need this in their lives. Being unable to do so many things that we take for granted, this would be a shame to take away.

Alecto (06/11/11 12:04:47)

There is zero reason she can't wear loose fitting shorts and tights, as well as a tight top with a t-shirt over it.

The reason I say this? I have a friend who lifted weights in college and due to an injury, wore compression stockings to keep swelling down. Absolutely no difference there.

Doggie, I find your statement to be incredibly bigoted. She is not asking anyone else to change, simply that she be allowed to compete and not violate her religious faith.

kittenor (06/11/11 12:31:28)

The REAL question should be - Why does the sport have those specific guidelines and do they make sense? Obviously, if soccer players wear a snug "hijab" made of sport material, there is no way they will "strangle" someone with it (and I have to agree with the journalist - if soccer is worried about someone trying to strangle a player by grabbing a hijab or a neck warmer, there are bigger issues to address.). Likewise, if a weightlifter can wear a long sleeve or full leg covering made of compression material that enables the judge to determine if their knees/elbows are locked, then the goal has been achieved.

The problem lies in guidelines that were created with a specific group (i.e., Western/non-Muslim athletes) in mind, that then become rigid when someone "different" wants to join in. The governing body should be asking itself - How can we implement the purpose while allowing the greatest number of competitors? The same principle applies in many other situations as well. An issue arises (We need to see locked elbows/knees), someone decides one way of doing that (elbows and knees must be bare), and no one ever examines alternative ideas, even when technology advances (compression material) that makes new alternatives feasible.

For that matter, I've always thought the ruling on the swimsuits was crazy, because if EVERYONE is wearing them, then how does it "change" the sport? Yes, performances will improve - the same way performance improved when Adidas and Nike invented better shoes, or tennis and golf introduced oversized rackets and clubheads, or cycling introduced streamlined bikes and helmets.

The problem isn't the clothing an athlete wears - it's the rigidity of the governing body and their unwillingness to consider alternatives that achieve the ultimate goal ("fair" competition) when determining the "rules" of a sport.

Oh, just for fun - anyone worrying about soccer players using a hijab to "strangle" someone should watch the video of the women's NCAA soccer tournament, where one player grabbed another player's UNCOVERED ponytail to drag her down. A hijab would have PREVENTED that. :>

duplessis3 (06/11/11 12:50:27)

Not everyone can afford the performance enhancing swimsuits - only wealthy nations can, so that makes it unfair, unless (and this might be a good idea) the swimming federation issues the same sort of suit to everyone.

kittenor (06/12/11 03:13:34)

Not all countries/athletes can afford the latest and greatest of ANY sport technology - and not all teams are equally supported, regardless of their country's "wealth." For years, before US athletes were allowed to accept training money, teams like the bobsled team routinely bought the castoff sleds from other countries. Some teams/athletes are fully supported year-round and have access to the best coaches and facilities, and others don't - even in the wealthy countries. I guarantee you the New Zealand soccer team would like to have the same level of financial support and training facilities the English national team does. Etc., etc., etc. So that particular explanation never made any sense to me. Still doesn't.

I stand by my opinion, which is to ask "What is the PURPOSE of a particular regulation, and are there valid alternative ways to achieve that purpose? If there are, they should be allowed.

The Archivist (06/12/11 04:54:42)

Yeah, I really think that it should make zero difference if she wants to cover her arms, legs, and head. Seriously, how does that really affect the weight lifting itself? There seem to be a lot of arbitrary rules governing sports attire, imo. I avoided playing volleyball all through high school and college because of the fucking uniforms (the ones that look like underwear.) The point of them? Who the hell knows.

Rock on, Muslim lady.

[RAD MYTH]

I'd like to see some observant Muslim women enter beach volley competitions.

As it stands now, the arbitrary rules have them wearing suits down to the minimal amount of inches to show off their bodies. Of course the same rules do not apply to men.

It would probably take a Muslim to shake things up.

Or maybe a Botkin girl?