No Youth Olympic Games For Hijab Wearing Iranian Team

Whether you agree or not, the international soccer (aka football) federations have rules and regulations about certain things, and those rules have to be strictly adhered to. One of those rules has the Iranians up in arms since their female youth soccer team has just been kicked out of the inaugural Youth Olympics by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) for refusing to play without the hijab.

irans soccer team 2LkFo 16105

"FIFA decreed that the wearing of Islamic hijab was not in accordance with the laws of the game," the report said.

Now before anyone runs screaming about discrimination against Muslims, the daddy of all football confederations FIFA applies rules against any religious or political display on the field, including Christians and Jews, and has a certain dress code for players which do not include a head scarf.

FIFA maintains football's international rule book which contains a section on players' on-field equipment.

Law 4 states that "basic compulsory equipment must not have any political, religious or personal statements.

"The team of a player whose basic compulsory equipment has political, religious or personal slogans or statements will be sanctioned by the competition organiser or by FIFA."

The hijab issue was first examined in 2007 after an 11-year-old girl in Canada was prevented from wearing one for safety reasons.

FIFA's rules-making arm, the International Football Association Board, declined to make an exception for religious clothing.

The national Olympic committee of Iran tried to convince both FIFA and the International Olympic committee to make an exception for the hijab, but they remained firm. Rules are rules, after all, and if you start making exceptions for one group, then you have to make them for others and where would that lead. Sports should be void of politics or religion, it just makes it more pleasant and safer for all involved. What they do off the field is a totally different story.

FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke rejected the Iranian Olympic panel's request in a letter to the national football federation.

"Taking into consideration the clear position stated by the (Olympic committee) of Iran, the FIFA Executive Committee had no choice but to take the decision that (Iran) will not be able to participate," Valcke said, according to the AFC.

So instead of the Iranians, Thailand will now get to play at the games scheduled for August 14- 26, 2010 in Singapore, representing Asia against

Turkey, Equatorial Guinea, Trinidad and Tobago, Chile and Papua New Guinea.

Around 3,600 athletes aged 14-18 will compete in 26 sports.

This is at least one instance where Iran was unable to strong arm the world into doing things its way. It's a good lesson for them, although it's too bad for the athletes who have to suffer for the intransigence of their leaders. Athletes shouldn't be pawns in some religious game, and if you can't stick to international rules then you should just stick to playing tournaments against other equally religious teams. It's as simple as that.