Reverse Hijab Discrimination

There is an expectation to observe the dress code appropriate to the setting. For example, wearing business attire to work or a swimsuit to the swimming pool is a societal norm. But since hijab can be viewed as a necessity for some women to wear in all aspects of public life, being expected to opt out of wearing it to enter certain venues is unreasonable. One commenter cited a pair of eyeglasses as an example of how someone who cannot see clearly uses this as an accessory to help him with better vision; it would be ridiculous for him to remove his eyeglasses because it does not fit with the image of the place; these eyeglasses remain an accessory and do not define him as a person, just as a hijab should as well.

For venues such as the swimming pool and women who choose to observe hijab, there are companies such as Ahiida that create burkinis (full-coverage swimwear) and hijoods (sports hijabs) for women who want to swim or play sports, while still dressing modestly. More companies are fulfilling the demand for sports attire for women who want to dress modestly while playing sports. Recently, Iranian girls were banned from participating in FIFA competitions because they wore headscarves. Iran has decided to file a complaint against FIFA. FIFA's stance is that any religious symbols or statements cannot be allowed to "prevent influence and for safety reasons." Fakhraie comments, "I don't for one second believe that it's a safety decision."

9/14/2011 4:00:00 AM
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