In 2014, the world’s governing body of football, FIFA, took the historic choice to permit Muslim female players to cover their heads during games. Prior to the decision, Muslim women were prohibited from playing competitive football while wearing hijab.

It was a landmark move that not only altered football as we know it but also profoundly impacted Muslim women all around the world.

Conversations around the decision surfaced recently after Morocco’s Nouhaila Benzina became the first player to wear a hijab during a Women’s World Cup game. Benzina donned the Muslim headscarf in Morocco’s match against South Korea.

In this article, CrispNG examines the origin of the ban, the fight to get it lifted, and the benefits it has brought to Muslim women playing football.

We will also discuss the value of diversity in sports, the mixed opinions of football fans on the development, and the precedence that FIFA’s decision has established.

Sports have always been a place where barriers can be broken down and social conventions may be challenged. The restriction on the hijab, the Islamic headscarf worn by Muslim women, has long been a source of discussion and controversy in the world of women’s football. The FIFA restriction, which was issued, aroused a lot of controversy and criticism because it created a barrier for Muslim women who wanted to play football while adhering to their religious views.

The contentious restriction, which went into effect in 2007, forbade women from donning the hijab during matches that were officially sanctioned by FIFA. FIFA claimed that the headscarf created a potential risk of harm to players, which was the main justification for the ban.

The Muslim community fiercely opposed this judgment, arguing that it violated their right to religious freedom and prevented them from enjoying the sport they loved on an equitable basis.

The FIFA rules were criticized for being inconsistent because other religious symbols like turbans, kippahs, and crosses were permitted on the pitch. Many people believed the prohibition to be discriminatory because it singled out a particular religious community and made it difficult for them to enjoy football to the fullest without jeopardizing their beliefs.

Read More: https://www.crispng.com/hijab-and-fifa-dissecting-the-pros-and-cons-as-moroccos-benzina-makes-history/