Headscarf ruling irks Saudis

[falah]

Headscarf ruling irks Saudis

LONDON — A competitor from Saudi Arabia, who is one of the country’s first female athletes ever selected for the Olympics, will not be allowed to wear a headscarf during competition, the International Judo Federation said.

President Marius Vizer ruled that “according to the principles and spirit of judo,” Wojdan Ali Seraj Abdulrahim Shahrkhani could not fight with a headscarf.

Judo officials said they were very proud their sport was one of the first to welcome a Saudi female competitor, but announced on the eve of the London Games that she would not be allowed to fight with a headscarf even though the federation has not banned women from covering their hair before.

Federation spokesman Nicolas Messner said the decision was made due to safety concerns.

Asian judo federations have previously allowed Muslim women to wear headscarves during major competitions, but Messner said the IJF had decided against it.

The ruling on Thursday could jeopardise Shahrkhani’s participation in the Olympics. Saudi leaders only agreed to send women to the Games for the first time on the condition they be allowed to wear appropriate clothing for Muslim women, including a headscarf.

The 18-year-old will compete in the over 78-category at the Olympics. She was drawn to first fight Melissa Mojica, from Puerto Rico Aug. 3.

Headscarves are allowed in taekwondo. The World Taekwondo Federation changed its rules in recent years to accommodate Muslim female athletes. Some of the strongest medal contenders at the Olympics in the female division of the sport are from Egypt and Iran.

But all taekwondo fighters must also wear a headguard which is worn over a headscarf.

International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) recently reversed it five-year ban on headscarves and now allows women to play football with their head covered.

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/kt-artic...ection=general

[falah]

...Saudi Arabia only agreed to send a women's team to London on condition that their two athletes respect a strict dress code.

The country's most senior sports official Prince Nawaf bin Faisal had told local daily Al-Jazirah the two athletes would be allowed to compete as long as they will be "wearing suitable clothing that complies with sharia."

Additionally he added other stipulations that: "the athlete's guardian agrees and attends with her," and "there must also be no mixing with men during the Games"...

http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsCont...athletes-.aspx

[falah]

...On Thursday, three issues rankled some Muslim activists:

--A "Welcome to London" street sign written in Arabic that was virtually indecipherable, with the characters written backward.

--A ruling that one of Saudi Arabia's two female athletes couldn't wear a headscarf for her judo competitions because of safety concerns.

--And an insistence that two Moroccan soccer players produce a urine sample for doping tests, even though they were fasting for Ramadan and needed more than two hours to produce it.

"The reason we won the games was because London was diverse, it's where the world is represented," said Mohammed Shafiq, head of the Manchester-based Ramadan Foundation, which seeks to forge understanding among Britain's different communities.

"But," he said, "we're seeing decisions that are being made that will have a negative impact on the beliefs of Muslim athletes, and Muslim fans and officials."

Already, the International Olympic Committee and Prime Minister David Cameron have apologized profusely for the most blatant mistake to date: displaying South Korea's flag rather than North Korea's on a giant screen ahead of Pyongyang's inaugural women's soccer match Wednesday night. The flap sent the North's team off the pitch for an hour in protest.

On Thursday, two other geopolitical gaffes surfaced: Welsh soccer player Joe Allen was listed as English in the official program, and some athletes who were born in then-Soviet Ukraine were listed as having been born in the "Ukraine region" of Russia. Others were listed as coming from the Ukrainian cities of Lutsk and Lviv, which were described in the program as Russian. Similar mistakes were made for Georgia-born athletes.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Konstantin Grishchenko said Kiev's embassy in London had complained to the IOC and requested corrections.

"The word 'region' is obviously excessive," he tweeted, referring to the centuries of Russian dominance that ended when Ukraine gained its independence in 1991. "It's an incompetent mistake even from the point of view of English grammar."

London organizing spokeswoman Joanne Manning-Cooper acknowledged the mistakes but tried to put them in context.

"We've got 200 competing nations from all over the world, a multitude of religions," she said. "Over the past seven years we've worked hard to make sure this really is everyone's games, no matter where you're from or what your beliefs."

Part of that involved creating a committee of representatives of different faiths to ensure no one would feel excluded by the games. But given the vast numbers of people and events involved -- 650 sporting events, nearly 10,000 athletes over 17 days -- mistakes are bound to happen.

"If we make mistakes, we fix them immediately and aim to ensure they never happen again," she said.

For Saudi Arabia's Wojdan Ali Seraj Abdulrahim Shahrkhani, it's not so much a mistake as a safety ruling that could jeopardize her participation in the games.

On Thursday, the International Judo Federation ruled she couldn't wear a headscarf during competition because of safety concerns given the strangleholds and chokeholds that are often used.

Shahrkhani is one of the first two Saudi women allowed to participate in the Olympics; the other, Sarah Attar is expected to wear a headscarf when she competes in distance running.

Asian judo federations have previously allowed Muslim women to wear the hijab during major competitions, but the IJF decided against it this time around.

"Someone wearing a headscarf could put their opponent at a disadvantage if the headscarf gets in the way and you're not able to grip properly," said Szandra Szogedi, a Hungarian fighter who just missed out on the Olympics and is helping the Hungarian team during the games.

Judo fighters typically struggle to get a grip on each other's uniform and frequently reach behind their opponent's head to get a dominant position on the base of their neck.

"But on the other hand, the headscarf could be dangerous for the woman wearing it, because if I try to strangle you and somehow pull your scarf around into a more dangerous position," she said.

Shafiq, of the Ramadan Foundation, said allowances should be made particularly for people of different faiths.

"It's not about political correctness," he said. "It's about being aware of the sensitivities around this, and positively embracing the diversity."

http://www.newsday.com/sports/on-wor...able-1.3863884

[Abu Layla]

*yawn* Olympics... watch iFish people, heaps better.

[abu rashid]

This should be a clear enough sign for these Muslims NOT to participate in these pagan rituals.

Tell them to shove their olympics.

[Ummi_Abdulmalik]

I still don't understand why you want to participate in the games which were to please GREEK GODS!
these people need to check their history books seriously, it's a massive shirk.

[Everlong]

Judo federation orders Saudi woman to compete without hijab

Wojdan Shaherkani, the judoka from Saudi Arabia who is one of the first women to represent her country in the Olympics, has been ordered not to wear the hijab, or head scarf, during competition. The International Judo Federation said she will compete without a head covering.

http://au.sports.yahoo.com/blogs/oly...8006--oly.html

[Everlong]

stirring_the_pot_postcard-p239895537746799299baanr_400.jpg

[Inqiyaad]

SubhaanAllah!! And is the sister actually gonna go in with it??

We went from 'stay in your houses and do not adorn yourselves etc' to this

[from water]

They never respected the religion to begin with.

This is the result of compromising with the kuffar. First they agreed to participate in this pointless kafir ritual, as females. Then they got the bogus fatwah, from this world full of fataawah for everything, that they can break their fast in Ramadan for the purpose of this idiocy. Now their hijab is next, whoa big surprise.

The shaytaan tempted them and stripped them of their clothing.

[Ummi_Abdulmalik]

The Olympics were a religious event for the Greeks. A temple on the site of Olympia, which was dedicated to Zeus, held a gold and ivory statue of the king of the gods. By the greatest Greek sculptor, Pheidias, it stood 42-feet high, and was one of the 7 wonders of the Ancient World.

The Olympic games were basically just for men: Matrons were forbidden to attend the Games; however, the presence of the priestess of Demeter was required.

It was sacrilege to commit a crime, including accepting payment, corruption, and invasion during the games.

[6.3.8] The statue of Oebotas was set up by the Achaeans by the command of the Delphic Apollo in the eightieth Olympiad [433 B.C.], but Oebotas won his victory in the footrace at the sixth Festival [749 B.C.]. How, therefore, could Oebotas have taken part in the Greek victory at Plataea [479 B.C.]


The Games were held in honor of Zeus, the king of the Greek gods, and a sacrifice of 100 oxen was made to the god on the middle day of the festival. Athletes prayed to the gods for victory, and made gifts of animals, produce, or small cakes, in thanks for their successes.

According to legend, the altar of Zeus stood on a spot struck by a thunderbolt, which had been hurled by the god from his throne high atop Mount Olympus, where the gods assembled. Some coins from Elis had a thunderbolt design on the reverse, in honor of this legend.


....enough said.

[SammerTX]

Careful, you will find most scholars today see absolutely nothing wrong with the Olympics themselves.

They argue that even though they had medieval roots (as one would expect from an event that predates Christ), today participants are there to compete in sports, not sacrifice to Zues. So if the fundamental principle of something that renders it haram is removed, its no longer considered as such.

You will also find scholars who allow them to break their fast based on job requirements; much like any other occupation that could jeopardize one's health if one does not intake nutrients.

Having said that, I just watched Bachar Houli play 4 full quarters of AFL football while he was fasting.

By the way, generally speaking I think it's critical for Muslim majority countries and even those outside those countries to place a heavy emphasis on health and fitness and taking care of oneself. Otherwise, they are going to end up like 65% of people here: clinically obese.

I cannot believe the number of Muslim men who are so out of shape, they cannot even bench press their own shoe size in weight or jog 200m without gasping for air.

Unless there's a valid reason, there's no excuse for it.

[UmmZ.]

Who are those scholars, SammerTX?

The lighting of the Olympic flame is an issue. Originally it was what they thought as a flame "stolen from Zeus". So even if they don't believe that now, their ceremony of lighting the flame in Greece at the start of the relay involves shirk. They use, authobillah, priestesses of a goddess.

Please do your research before claiming there's nothing wrong with the modern day Olympics.

[Abdul-Mateen]

They argue that even though they had medieval roots (as one would expect from an event that predates Christ), today participants are there to compete in sports, not sacrifice to Zues.

This sounds like the type of reasoning from those who claim that when people gather for Christmas lunch/dinner it is just to stuff their faces, get drunk, and swap presents etc. It is more of a commercial holiday than a celebration of Christ's birth, so therefore Muslims can participate; we should even open up the mosque to celebrate with our Christian brothers. Sound far-fetched? It's already happening thanks to the sweet poison dished out by so-called scholars.

[littleMother]

I read this the other day and felt like throwing up.

http://www.smh.com.au/olympics/off-t...724-22lrg.html

Imagine being a Muslim, in Ramadan and surrounded by all that.

[SammerTX]

Who are those scholars, SammerTX?

The lighting of the Olympic flame is an issue. Originally it was what they thought as a flame "stolen from Zeus". So even if they don't believe that now, their ceremony of lighting the flame in Greece at the start of the relay involves shirk. They use, authobillah, priestesses of a goddess.

Please do your research before claiming there's nothing wrong with the modern day Olympics.

As I said, the roots of the Olympics is one thing, how much of a factor they play is another.

If I as an Olympian train to compete against fellow Olympians from all over the world in my sport - how am I committing shirk by participating in the event?

All people of all religions are welcome. Nobody is being asked to invoke any other God but the one they believe in, or bow to Apollo or Zeus. It's a non religious event.

Athletes compete, they win and lose, get medals and stand for their anthems, thank everyone and see you in four years.

There is zero religious element involved on the athletes behalf.

[Ummi_Abdulmalik]

Sorry sammer but the lighting of the flame, the time when the Olympics are held is all in accordance to Greek History and religious ceremonies.


Lighting of the flame, usually this was done by the Priestess'.

The Ancient Olympics never had a ceremony (or even an athletic event) involving a torch as a central element. Olympia did have an eternal fire, which was kept burning in honour of Hestia (the goddess of the hearth) and was used to light all the other sacrificial fires throughout the complex of temples.

The Opening & Closing Ceremonies were apart of the religious ritual of the Olympics, there would be spectacular entrance by the athletes, singing, dancing, poetry. The ceremony would remember the past heroes and to pay respects to the Gods/Goddesses

Games were held as part of religious ceremonies in honor of deceased heroes, a concept displayed in the funeral games for Patroklos in Book 23 of Homer's epic poem, The Iliad. Games were also held in the context of many ancient fertility festivals. The games at Olympia were connected with both the funeral games of Oinomaos, established by Pelops, and a fertility cult involving any number of gods and goddesses who were worshipped at the site. The Olympic games began to be usurped by the prominent cult of Zeus, and eventually lost much of their religious character.

The Greek calendar was based on the conception of the four-year Olympiad. When Greek historians referred to dates, they most often referred to a year (i.e., first, second, third, fourth) within the Olympiad that the event occurred. The winner of the stadium race in a given year had the Olympiad named in honor of him. The first Olympiad is therefore known as that of Koroibos of Elis, the winner of the stadium race in 776 BC.

The Olympic Hymn (given below in Greek and English) was written by Costis Palamas, one of Greece's most famous poets, in 1893 and was set to music by Spiros Samaras in 1896. The Hymn was adopted as the Official Olympic Hymn by the International Olympic Committee in 1957.

Greek

Αρχαίο Πνεύμ' αθάνατον, αγνέ πατέρα
του ωραίου, του μεγάλου και τ' αληθινού,
κατέβα, φανερώσου κι άστραψ' εδώ πέρα
στη δόξα της δικής σου γης και τ' ουρανού.

Στο δρόμο και στο πάλεμα και στο λιθάρι,
στων ευγενών Αγώνων λάμψε την ορμή,
και με τ' αμάραντο στεφάνωσε κλωνάρι
και σιδερένιο πλάσε κι άξιο το κορμί.

Κάμποι, βουνά και πέλαγα φέγγουν μαζί σου
σαν ένας λευκοπόρφυρος μέγας ναός,
και τρέχει στο ναό εδώ προσκυνητής σου.
Αρχαίο Πνεύμ' αθάνατο, κάθε λαός.

Κωστής Παλαμάς (1859-1942)


English Translation

Ancient immortal spirit, pure father
Of the beautiful, the great and the true,
Descend, appear, and emblaze this place
With the glory of your own earth and sky.

In the race, the grappling, and the toss,
Kindle the impulse in all noble contests,
Crown with the perennial wreath,
And fashion the steely and worthy body.

Plains, mountains, and seas glow in your presence
Like some great clear porphyrous shrine,
And every nation hurries here to your temple
In supplication, ancient immortal spirit.

Costis Palamas (1859-1942)

Translation by: Sotiris Sotiropoulos,
Canada ©2001

http://www.nostos.com/olympics/#Myth...lympic%20Games

[AbuSuhayla]

They never respected the religion to begin with.

This is the result of compromising with the kuffar. First they agreed to participate in this pointless kafir ritual, as females. Then they got the bogus fatwah, from this world full of fataawah for everything, that they can break their fast in Ramadan for the purpose of this idiocy. Now their hijab is next, whoa big surprise.

The shaytaan tempted them and stripped them of their clothing.

It had nothing to do with breaking their fast because of the olympics. They said they can break their fast due to travelling. I agree though that the women should not participate in sports events in public let alone the olympics.

[Abdul-Mateen]

http://evilolympics.com/

[falah]

If I as an Olympian train to compete against fellow Olympians from all over the world in my sport - how am I committing shirk by participating in the event?

If there was an sporting event to celebrate adultery would you participate? Polytheism is a bigger sin than adultery.

I read this the other day and felt like throwing up.

http://www.smh.com.au/olympics/off-t...724-22lrg.html

Imagine being a Muslim, in Ramadan and surrounded by all that.

It sounds like a festival of fornication. Who would want their daughter or son to participate in this?

..."I've never witnessed so much debauchery in my entire life," says Lakatos...

...at the 2000 Sydney Games, 70,000 condoms weren't enough, prompting a second order of 20,000 and a new standing order of 100,000 condoms per Olympics [about 20 for every male competitor!]...

..."There's a lot of sex going on," says women's football goalkeeper Hope Solo, an American gold medallist in Beijing in 2008. "I'd say it's 70% to 75% of Olympians," agrees US world record holding swimmer Ryan Lochte, who will be in London for his third Games...

..."When I walked in for the first time in Atlanta," says US women's football player Brandi Chastain, "there were loud cheers. So we look over and see two French handballers dressed only in socks, shoes, jockstraps, neckties and hats on top of a dining table, feeding one another lunch. We're like, 'What is this place?"'...

...Many liken it to a school cafeteria, "except everyone's beautiful," says US football player Julie Foudy, who has two golds and one silver from playing in three Olympics. "We'd graze over our food for hours, watching all the eye candy, wondering why I got married."...

...American BMXer Jill Kintner, who won bronze in Beijing, thinks the Italians are particularly inviting: "They leave their doors open, so you look in and see dudes in thongs running circles around each other."...

...American shot-putter and silver and bronze medallist John Godina says he had never seen anything like the dorm room in Sydney he shared with Greer, which became a revolving door of women without back stories. Each day, Greer was visited by three Olympian women, sometimes just hours apart...

...As the curtain falls on more events, the action accelerates. "Athletes are extremists," Solo says. "...I've seen people having sex right out in the open."...

...Once all the events have been completed, there's one party that can't be missed: the closing ceremony. "They basically throw us all in a stadium and say: 'Just go for it, party hard, get drunk and do some groping,"' says Australian footballer Alicia Ferguson...

http://www.smh.com.au/olympics/off-t...724-22lrg.html