When Abukaram asked why, officials said her hijab violated the uniform policy and that she had been disqualified. “At first it was just so humiliating and then was huge disbelief,” Abukaram told HuffPost. While each sport has its own rules with regards to religious headwear, Muslim women who compete while wearing a hijab have faced a litany of obstacles. In 2017, the International Basketball Federation overturned its long-criticized ban on religious headwear, including the hijab, after much scrutiny. “Anybody who wears hijab — or anyone who has to wear something for their religion — shouldn’t have to get a waiver to race or not race at all,” Abukaram said.

Source: Huffington Post October 24, 2019 21:18 UTC