FIFA agree to overturn Hijab ban 'in principle'

Four years ago, the International Football Association Board made the decision to ban Muslim women from wearing the headscarf during competitive matches on the grounds of health and safety. Suddenly, a group of people with the same passion for the beautiful game as anyone else in the world, would not be able to play competitive football unless they took off the headscarf, which is a marker of maintaining their modesty.

The decision angered a lot of people, especially because the game is constantly promoted by the Football Association in this country as Football For All. Indeed, the FA have a support group for Asian and Muslim women. It would have been a mockery of their mission to be all inclusive if they continued to uphold the ban.

This weekend saw IFAB hold a big get together in Bagshot, south of London to discuss a number of big issues. Amongst the topics up for discussion was the use of goal line technology, magic spray for free-kicks and having an extra substitute if games went into extra-time. But the main issue for many campaigners worldwide was whether IFAB would overturn the ban and whether it would have wider implications, affecting other religious groups such as Sikhs and Rastafarians, who could have had their religious headwear prohibited under a wider ban. The campaign was supported by UN Secretary General's special adviser on sport, Wilfried Lemke, international players' union FIFPro and the FARE network.

So there was some relief when the eight-man panel of the IFAB, made up of officials from FIFA, the English, Scottish, Welsh and Irish FAs, unanimously decided to overturn the ban 'in principle'. The decision was made after a presentation by FIFA executive committee member Prince Ali bin Al Hussein of Jordan on a new headscarf design which is fastened by Velcro.

It is only considered a partial victory for campaigners as there is set to be further testing with a view to a final decision in July. But Prince Ali has welcomed the decision, saying Muslim women who wore the headscarf would no longer feel alienated from the global game.

He said,

“I am deeply grateful that the proposal to allow women to wear the headscarf was unanimously endorsed by all members of IFAB. I welcome their decision for an accelerated process to further test the current design and I’m confident that once the final ratification at the special meeting of IFAB takes place, we will see many delighted and happy players returning to the field and playing the game they love.”

Piara Powar, Executive Director of FARE and vice- chair of the UK Asians in Football Forum, said,

“We welcome the change in the FIFA rulebook, the IFAB have overturn a ban which threatened to marginalise Muslim women from football globally. We also feel strongly that if football is to realise its potential to engage people across boundaries of class, race, religion and nationality the rules must recognise religious symbolism is an important part of many peoples identity and culture and does not automatically constitute a challenge to football."

FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke refused to confirm the decision to overturn the ban was due to the relentless campaigning across the world.

"We had a lot of letters from around the world but that was not the basis of the decision. It was based on a report and what the four members and FIFA felt about this issue, it had nothing to do with what the United Nations said to FIFA. After all, we don't say anything about Syria to the United Nations. It was purely a football issue."

Football issue or not, FIFA and co avoided a major situation which went against their principles of making sure football is truly a global sport for everyone without discrimination.

Image: Australian footballer Assmaah Helal