Those rules were known to all participating teams prior to their joining the tournament...they just assumed they wouldn't be enforced. The purpose of the rules was for player safety.

When my kids played soccer, there was a rule that no jewelry was permitted due to player safety...does that mean that the soccer league was guilty of jewelryism?

This is much ado about stupidity.

Are Muslim girls allowed to play soccer,? I don't think they are in Islamic States, and do they wear shorts????.

Bravo for the ref. and thank God, for him, that he’s a Muslim. If the ref. had been non-Muslim, the screaming, yelling, and hair-pulling would be monumental. There'd probably be a Human Rights Commission challenge.

If girls want to play soccer, then they shouldn't wear a hijab. Playing soccer and wearing the symbol of radical Islam’s suppression of women just don’t go together, so what did this girl—or her supporters—think they were doing? Too many Muslims want to have it both ways--or every way. 'Continue to live like a Muslim but do Canadian things, always THEIR way.

As for the individuals who “have slammed the referee’s decision, saying it is just another example of how Quebec is trying to get immigrants to toe a cultural line”: Chill out and get a Canadian life. Surely a Canadian jurisdiction has every right to expect immigrants to “toe a cultural line.” Otherwise “immigration” is in danger of becoming “invasion.” Surely it’s not unreasonable for Canadians to expect immigrants from other countries to accommodate Canadian ways…And if it is unreasonable, then Canadians had better start to demand “Why?”

Multiculturalism is pushed way too far when certain immigrants demand that Canadians bend OUR rules because of certain religious/cultural groups' sensibilities—and Canadians acquiesce.

The ref did the right thing.

Muslim Girl Ejected from Canadian Soccer Tournament

Someone pushed an 11-year old Muslim girl into trying to play in a soccer tournament wearing the symbol of radical Islam’s suppression of women—the hijab. (LGF)

[More on the "suppression" of women by radical Islam:]

There Are No Words

In the blood-stained annals of “honor killing,” this is surely one of the most appalling stories ever to emerge: Abu-Ghanem women speak out against serial ‘honor killings’.

The murder of Hamda Abu-Ghanem, whose bullet-riddled body was found in mid-January at her parents’ house in Ramle, surprised nobody. ...

The perpetrators of most honor killings in the Arab community are not apprehended. Hamda’s murder, however, was one too many for the women in the Abu-Ghanem family. She was the eighth woman to be murdered in the extended family in the last six and a half years. All her predecessors also lost their lives in “honor killings.” ...

Before Hamda, the other women of the Abu-Ghanem family who lost their lives for honor were Naifa, Suzan, Zinat, Sabrin, Amira, Reem and Shirihan.

...-
http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?entry=24585&only

If this is as they say a simple safety issue why don't we all just wrap our kids up in bubble wrap and lock them in their bedrooms or else they may be accidentally strangled while running around on the field.

Thank god we have such safety mined adults around to protect our children from inadvertent hijab based soccer stranglings.

Give me break kids are tougher than you think.

I look back at me being a kid and I don't think I ever went a day with out doing something at least as dangerous as a 11 year old girl in a scarf. Wake up people you are rasing a bunch of wimps.

davidt: I think you've missed the point of this post.

I should hope that the ref. would have told the girl to get off the field whether her hijab was a safety issue or not. The hijab is not a traditional Muslim headress for females, but was introduced in or around the '70s as a symbol of a female's place within the hierarchy of radical Islam. It's a political symbol.

No soccer player would be allowed to wear a t-shirt or pair of shorts emblazoned with political slogans, so why should a player be able to wear gear that serves the same purpose.

You might want to clean your glasses, davidt. The wimpy thing here would have been for the ref. not to prohibit the hijab.

A total political set-up with the kid as the pawn. Shameful. Some will stop at nothing.

This should be a case of who gives a damn if a Muslim kid plays soccer with a headscarf.

Only a fool would think that this is dangerous.

Different Bob is right this is grown ups playing politics with a little kid who should be playing soccer.

The rule is, ostensibly, about safety. It's a stupid rule, really. If it were a rule against the wearing of the hijab as a hateful, misogynist symbol inappropriate in a pluralistic society, I could probably get past my libertarian misgivings.

What I would like to know is if the organizers of the tournament arranged the refing schedule to ensure that it was a muslim referee that booted her for appearances sake. It is my understanding that she played in at least a couple of games before this ejection. Just saying...

It's firstly a shame to be using kids to make statements. Why would an eleven year old girl have to be wearing a head cover when all others on the team can feel the wind in their hair?

It looks suspiciously like a set up to get reaction and try to paint us as intolerant, bigots or racist, given the referee was Muslim. He could have overlooked it, or if forced could resign.
it was not a problem for anyone else.

Why do they want to stand out like sore thumbs while living in this Country, attending our schools, playing our sports etc anyway?
Let them integrate and enjoy our Society and blend in. If the sport has a uniform, don't allow them to bastardize it.
The bigger story is using children to make a statement.

I’m a footy fan. Personally I couldn’t give a flying you-know-what if a player wears something on their head – Charmaine Hooper and several of the Canadian women wear this headband contraption that is supposed to prevent head shock when heading the ball.

I am however opposed to women in hijabs or any other kind of covering. I think we should be hostile to the wearing of this stuff at every opportunity, and quite frankly I think we should be putting some Muslim men in full burqa so they can experience what it’s like.

We already lost this battle kids.

Anybody remember the Sikhs and their turbans back in the 1970's? Police uniforms ring a bell? No such thing as a uniform anymore, ya gotta bend with the multi-culti wind eh?

Not that I don't think the battle isn't worth re-fighting, mind you. A uniform is supposed to be just that... uniform. If you don't like the outfit maybe you should re-think the whole coming to Canada thing, or choosing the cops or the military for a career at least.

The hijab is just another tempest in a tea pot. There are lots of places where you don't want something wrapped around your neck, and a soccer game is just one of them. DavidT and DifferentBob would be singing a MUCH different tune if this kid got choked, maimed or otherwise mangled due to having this thing ripped off the kid's head during play. What's next, turbans instead of helmets in peewee hockey? Good idea!

How about female police constables in hijab and veil? Sound like a plan?

It's quite simple really. It's a contracting issue.

The rules of soccer as they relate to dress are quite specific. You can only wear soccer socks, shin guards, running shoes, underwear, shorts and the team jersey. Nothing else is allowed on the pitch. No jewelery around the neck, no rings, no sweat bands, no yarmulkes, no turbans, etc. etc. etc.

It is on this basis that all teams through the provincial, and Canadian soccer federation are able to gain insurance.

As a result of theses rules there are people of faith (of all kinds) who will not participate. There are likely Orthodox jews, for example, who choose not to join. They choose not to join as they find the terms of membership onerous.

As a libertarian I find these rules just, equitable, and fairly applied. If there is an error, and a slight one at that, it is that the federations (all sports federations) do not communicate the nature of their contract explicitly enough.

If you wish to join our organization here are the rules that we apply. And these rules are applied equally and with the same degree of enforcement no matter what you race, religion, gender, etc. etc.

If you wish to join, you need to be willing to submit to these rules.

And that is what this is all about. Are people/groups willing to submit?

Those that are may join. Those that do not want to submit - cannot.

Soccer players should not be allowed to wear scarves any more than mounties are allowed to wear turbans or kids are allowed to take knives to school.

It is a FIFA rule.

get FIFA to get its act together. Just following the international rules.

Wonder what the ref would have done if a Sikh kid had showed and wanted to play wearing the kurpan/knife ??

Wininrome

She was excluded from playing this game with the other children because the scarf was a safety issue not because the "hijab is not a traditional head dress for females" and the ref should have made that clear.

I find many of these comments strange such as Liz j suggesting that this is a Muslim conspiracy designed to make people look like bigots.

And as for the Libertarian who does not think individuals should be able to decide what kind of religious hat they wear.... lets hope that such hope for the government to assert control over religious clothing does not become mainstream.

I knew a nun the used to pay badminton in the habit and as far as know she never strangled anyone.

Has a full-length photo of her been published? I bet she was covered head to foot in some outfit, which probably wasn't the team's uniform.

Right thing to do. Her parents make her wear this stuff to make a political point and keep her separated from western societal norms. I'm surprised they let her play football.

Davidt

thank you for ignoring the basis of my comment.

you said "And as for the Libertarian who does not think individuals should be able to decide what kind of religious hat they wear.... lets hope that such hope for the government to assert control over religious clothing does not become mainstream."

They may wear whatever they choose to wear.

The issue is contracting and submitting. There are rules that someone who wishes to join must submit to.

If an individual finds the rules onerous, for any reason whatsoever, then they are free not to join.

However is you join you must submit to the rules. That is the nature of a contract.

JD

Allowing the girl to play with a safely tucked in hijab is reasonable accommodation, in my opinion.

It is not bowing to multicultural relativism, but something that a western, pluralist society can permit if it is confident in its predominantly Christian roots.

The problem is that Islamic extremism and constant caving on the part of the majority when it comes to Christian customs is strengthening a third force that is also totalitarian: secular fundamentalism.

Secular fundamentalism would force all religious expression out of the public square, leaving it only open to humanists and atheists. This view would also continue the erosion of Christian symbols and viewpoints in politics.

Secular fundamentalism is no match for Islamofascism. It may look like a tempting solution, but France, which is much further down this road, has shown far less success with its religious minorities despite the crackdown.

No, what we need in Canada is a revival of our historic western roots. That means that we understand the contribution of Judeo-Christian morality to our laws and institutions and that we keep the natural law that is a reflection of this as a basis for pluralism and religious freedom.

Otherwise, those of us who are crying out for suppression of public religious expression on the part of minorities may find their own religious expression suppressed. Hey, Christians are already feeling this. We're fighting a battle on two fronts folks, and secular fundamentalism is as dangerous ecause it would also kill the very antidote for the dying west.

RE: JD's post. These are two very different things and conflating them is not right. Sikh men actually do wear turbans and have since there have been Sikh men. Besides, they are not forced to wear it whether they like it or not. And as well, if you remember, the Air India thing and radicals in BC temples, there was some compelling reasons to get Sikhs who could go undercover in the Vancouver area. Const. Joe Smith would have had some problems with that. The fact that they screwed up the investigation is a whole other matter.
As to the headscarf? Troublemaking (at the minimum) is what jihadis do best. Radicalization of 11 year old girls (who are subject to honour killings if they hang out with the boys) is unacceptable.

I watched an interview with the kid & her mom last night on CJOH (Ottawa CTV affiliate). Mom's name is "Maria" and she wasn't wearing any headcovering whatsoever. Perhaps this is the kid's way of being different and standing out, but it's degenerated into a "it's not FAIR" hoohah. She's had her 15 minutes of fame. I don't care if adult women want to wear the hijab (never a bad hair day), but I don't see why a pre-teen child would wear one or why her mother would let her. What point is she trying to make?

I would like to celebrate my heritage by wearing a helmet with horns.(yes historcally incorrect but imbedded in the common knowledge)

I knew a nun the used to pay badminton in the habit and as far as know she never strangled anyone.

Posted by: davidt at February 27, 2007 8:44 AM

------------------------------

I guess you didn't watch the Carling Cup final between Chelsea and Arsenal. After seeing John Terry get kicked in the face and knocked out, you'd feel sheepish about comparing footy to badminton.

The suggestion that this eleven year old girls head scarf could result in her being "choked, maimed or otherwise mangled due to having this thing ripped off the kid's head during play." is obsurd. Even in the most outlandish thought experiment I can't see that happening. And I can't see the thought process required to see an eleven year olds scarf maiming anyone.

I surprised that the idea that this scarf could result in on fied strangulations is being given any serious consideration.

And as for the good point that this is a contract. I was under the impression the rule (contractual term) being used to keep the child from playing with her friends was one that concerned safety.

And if that is the term used in the contract that resulted in her being expelled then I would suggest that it would not hold up in court no matter how liberal the judge was in interpreting that provision.

Mat.

We are not talking about professional football we are talking about eleven year old girls.

Wow. The local media never mentioned half of the relevant details in this story.

Hey look on the bright side, at least we can blame Quebec for this one.

Mat.

We are not talking about professional football we are talking about eleven year old girls.

Posted by: davidt at February 27, 2007 9:54 AM

---------------------------------

Regardless, it's a rougher game than badminton - twist ankles, kicked shins, dislocated knees, etc.

Badminton isn't even rough, even when played by nuns in habit.

Perhaps there would not have been such a fuss if muslims did not have a history of demanding special treatment in the name of their religion. There is the RCMP and the turban. Prayer mats when arrested, special food while in jail, prayer rooms in schools, toilets that face east, the kirpan in schools, just for a few examples. As no one wanted to be called a bigot, racist ect. we the people gave in. They almost got sharia law in Ont. This was a deliberate attempt to make a political, not religious, stmt. Too bad for her, the ref, a muslim, called her on it. If the mother doesn't wear the scarf, that shows this girl was trying to make trouble. I hope there are reporters who will follow her around and catch her without the scarf. Also, she was wearning slacks not shorts. The g&m has about 300 comments re this story, and some are extremely stupid. If she is a very devout, religious muslim girl, she would be in a burka. Did she stop playing during prayer time, I doubt it. If you are going to be a devout anything, you can't pick and choose what parts of said religion you follow, it is all or none. She reminds me of all the devout christians who turn up at church at chritmas and easter, never to be seen again. Three cheers to the ref who called her on it. In one interview I saw one of the team members said, when shown the paper with the rules on it, and this one highlighted, Yes, we knew the rule, we just didn't think it would be enforced. By taking their teams out of the match, the coaches and parents sent a message, rules do not have to be followed. So what other rules will these parents and coaches allow their kids to break without punishment.

this shows how PC everybody-almost everybody, has become. The whole team walked off, and I believe another 8 teams. These kids have all been so saturated in PC that they are going to miss games and the tournament becuase all their schools preach "strength thru diversity" etc etc.
I hope the soccer league has some balls and tells them all to go to hell.

To those of you that think the ref did the wrong thing.You should all read The Force Of Reason by Oriana Fallaci

dministrators and now the media viewrs ALL know the rules were in place AHEAD OF TIME.

the sensible methodical logical course is to get a ruling on the hijab PRIOR to the beginning of the season and then go with that.

this is just a dare to the referee to act and thus make it a media issue.

wtf are rules for anyway? challenge the rule AHEAD OF TIME, not on the friggin playing field.

Lost in all of this is the fact that an 11 year old KID thinks she is a godfearing muslim and needs to submit to Islam. Since when is an 11 year old child old enough to make such a huge life affecting choice??

This just reeks of an adult power play a la the "6 Imams" who were booted off the plane in Minneapolis.

OT, but there are no readers comments. Read the Calgary Sun, Neil Waugh-column re Ed Stelmach basically telling suzuki and algore to go to hell.
Paul Jackson re dion and the terror bill. How many of you knew that Zundel was a leadership candidate when PET was elected.

The interesting angle to me is the mother. She appears to be a WASP who married a Muslim. It’s one thing if she wants to be treated second-class, but it’s quite another when she chooses to have her child treated equally badly.

I see this kind of thing occasionally at the mall: the cutest little girl has got one of those stupid hijabs on her head because of her medieval father. It’s one thing I suppose if the mother acquiesces because she’s Muslim-born, but it’s unconscionable for a western-raised mother to allow it.

Amen, robertbollocks. THAT is the point. The issue about the stupidity of the rule is valid, but not germaine to this outburst...the rule was there, it was known beforehand and it was violated. There should be no dispute or outrage because a rule was enforced.

If you want to dispute the stupid rule, do so beforehand. If SDA commenters think the rule is stupid and something arising from the "nanny state" condition...you're probably right (although it probably more like "libel-chill" from the insurance companies). But it doesn't apply to THIS outburst.

As I said before, much ado about stupidity.

Although the head scarf issue by itself is minor, you're exactly right Mary T.

The implementation of Sharia is a creeping process. Proponents use our own laws and culture to ensure Islamic separation from normal society and special privilege over us. As the Muslim's get their way and their population grows, the final result is dhimmitude for non-Muslims.

For the doubters, read the recent curriculum that the Muslim Council of Britain is 'suggesting' for all British schools. It is pernicious to say the least. Its 'suggestions' effect non-Muslim students as well, in terms of dress, food and courses.

I think the ref did the right thing.
As a former soccer ref I would not allow someone to play with their face covered.There are considerable studies showing professional soccer play who have choked by swallowing chewing gum.
If a player goes down apparently injured part of my assessment is to look at their face for an indication as to how serious the injury is.
As far as 11 year olds it make no difference.Developing players can be awkward and clumsy and tend to have "accidents while the more developed players to to have injuries due to "accidents and an over inflation of their abilities.
If the girl did get injured what kind of abuse would the ref be in for then?
Refs never win!

internal server error?

Headline at MSNBC

Iraq TV: Car bomb at soccer field kills 18 children....-
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1791956/posts

I'll advocate that this girl should be allowed to wear her token of oppression the day that a western woman is allowed to walk through downtown Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in shorts and a t-shirt without having her head cut off.

Until then, they can bugger off.

It's about rules.

Either you follow them, or you are destined to reside on the fringes of society.

"...Are Muslim girls allowed to play soccer..."

Who knows. But here are one set of rules pertaining to muslim girls who marry soccer players.

http://www.islam-qa.com/index.php?ref=84291&ln=eng&txt=soccer

I think they are losers.

From swim suit riots to cartoons,

They think it too
http://no-libs.com/?p=1462

You can put me down in the column that supports little religious girls playing soccer.

The rest of the old grumps who want to make political hay out of this should think twice before going on and on all the great reasons this poor little girl should not be allowed to play soccer with her little friends.

Davidt her friends the kaffuurs? Dhimmis?

Davidt. You really need to read The Force Of Reason, it just might change your way of thinking.

Her friends the kaffirs?

No her little friends on her childrens soccer team.

You know the bunch of little girls who all these grown ups are now angry she can play games with.

Seriously lighten up.

Its one thing to be political and harp and haw about everything under its lens but its another to gang up on an eleven year old girl who want to play.

And the force of reason is alarmist baloney that seeks to make problems rather than solve them.

Killing of 18 boys on soccer pitch in Iraq kind of puts this story into perspective. It's a religion of peace don't you know.

DavidT, you can't see a kid grabbing her head scarf while she's running full tilt with the ball? Or grabbing her shirt and getting a handful of scarf with it?

Haven't seen much kid's soccer have you? Just like a liberal.

Phantom.

I guess you are in the "eleven year old girl in a hijab is potentially dangerous" camp. Good for you.

Gssp what if someone grabbed a handful of hair???!!! We have to ban hair now.

Next thing you know you will be advocating the banning of children from riding bikes.

This is silly. Its a bunch of grown ups getting together to agree with each other about everything from conspiracies to the end of the western civilization when in fact all it is is a little girl playing a game.

And I am most certainly no Liberal.

Its simple folks.

FIFA has rules. You follow the rules or you don't play. You don't get to cherry pick which rules apply to you or not.

If you think this is stupid, then lets list some other rules that you would like to ignore. How about speeding in playground zones.

The 11 year old girl gets to make an adult decision. Loose the head gear or not play. How deep are her religious convictions

If the girl were injured while wearing the hijab (say, struck in the face by a ball) and it had to be removed in order to treat the girl, they'd still probably be complaining about how westerners 'don't respect Islam.

I can understand where the family is coming from on this issue - see the British Airways kerfuffle over the woman who wore her cross - but the issue is here is that of safety, and the rules are applied equally to people of all religions - whether or not you want to wear a cross, a kirpan, or what have you.

I sympathize with Muslim Canadians who have been here forever and are tired of radical immigrants making them look foolish, but it seems to me this is a case of a religious person having the be accommodating in the interests of safety. The rules are the rules, and they were known in advance.

9/11 families urge MPs to support anti-terror measures

National Post - 22 minutes ago
OTTAWA - Canadians who lost family members in the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks today pleaded with MPs to support the government motion to extend key anti-terrorism measures, which the Conservatives are poised to lose.(google news)..-

Grits Ready To Torpedo Anti-Terror Measures

Prime Minister Stephen Harper Monday accused the Liberals of an "outrageous and unsubstantiated slur" against the Vancouver Sun, reporter Kim Bolan and the RCMP as the Grits dug in their heels against extending two anti-terrorist measures in a vote today. (national newswatch)

There are rules/guidelines for all sports in Canada.

The fault lies with the coaches who didn't enforce these before it got to this point.

Soccer is a "team" sport, and thus you as a player must work for the "team". Wearing safe sports gear is part of that.

You can't play hockey without a helmet. Are hijabs part of the future for hockey as well???

God forbid, or I guess I should say...Allah forbid, don't want to not be pc.:-)

DKJones/Eeyore/others:

This was a tournament in Quebec. She played for an Ontario team. In the Ontario league, playing with the same rules, she was allowed to play. The issue never came up. So why would anyone think it would come up at the tournament.

I think the opponents here and the Muslim conspiracy theorists here are missing a larger point. In a way, this girl, this 11 year old girl, playing in short pants and short sleeves, is making a far more radical statement against extremist Islam than wearing a little scarf on her head.

Good for her.

I'm in the reasonable accomodation crowd on this one. There was no safety issue. She was playing the season with it. It's a freakin' game. Play on.

Ted

Redesign the hijab.

Common sense says not to wear anything wrapped around your neck in a sport which may unintentionally become a contact sport. Something like a speed skater's hood which covers the hair but sits close to the skin would meet both religious and safety requirements.

Just a thought ...

Jon

Arar got $10mil - no evidence required. The Khadr kid gets free medical for life.

The parents had to figure this would be worth $250k for an infringement on their "rights"

Taxpayer money, easy come, easy go.

It's been many years since my boys played soccer but I remember the referees always made it a point , before a game to tell any player with a headband, bandanna or earrings to remove them. My sons played both co-ed and youth soccer and this rule was always enforced at home and in tournaments, for boys and girls. I guess things must be different down there in Ottawa. How could a coach not be aware of the rules?

What a surprise, though, that Muslims everywhere will scream discrimination over a rule everyone else accepts. Go play in an Islamic league.

KP

"Seriously lighten up," says useful idiot davidt.

Forgettaboutit. Seriously, mr. t., you need to smarten up, read a little history, and figure out which way the wind's blowing.

As it is, you're just blowing in the politcally correct, multi-culti, all religions/cultures are equal hurricane that's sweeping Canada--and you may just be surprised where you end up.

I guess you've never given being Dhimmied a second thought. Maybe you'd better.

cover your awrah and watch out for factions.

http://www.islam-qa.com/index.php?ref=84291&ln=eng&txt=soccer

is there anything anyone has read about this religion that makes it seem like it wasnt concieved in an epileptic fit or bipolar incident.

There is legislation in place today that wasn't there 5 yrs ago re Air India Inquiry. What is available today that the liberals are afraid of. Maybe we have looked at this wrong all these years. What was the political situation in India when this happened. What side were the libs on. Maybe it wasn't a person from India who planned it, just paid for it. Who is the liberal sugar daddy. Who has great influence at the UN. Who has contacts with dictators or others around the world. And maybe that is what the liberals are afraid of coming out if they question witnesses, a very secretive liberal with his hands in all sorts of pockets. The liberal Whip said that not all libs will be in the House for the vote, some have medical problems, family problems, travel committments etc. Regardless, there is no way dion or the cbc can spin this to make is not appear the liberals are soft on terror and support terrorists and take money from said organizations. This is big payback for all of them. As for the libs questioning, and also the msm, why these 2 issues were not discussed earlier, PMSH response is, up until just recently, when the leader of the Liberal party flipflopped, there was no need to. Why did he flipflop. Is it just me, or does Iggy give the impression, when he stands up that he is bored, knows he is the smartest one in the room, and really should be leader. Or, another Bains friend is asking for an apology.

Ted,

I am not sure about your point other than there was unequal application of the rules. Doesn't make breaking rules okay. Just because one police officer doesn't pull you over for speeding does not give you carte blanche to speed.

While I would agree that this is a stupid rule for a kids soccer league, it is in place and the referee merely enforced it. Did the ref have a political point to make or did he want he want the Ontario team to leave, dunno. But he merely enforced a standing rule. I don't really see the story here.

DKJones:

My point was just to respond to uninformed comments like Robert Bollocks: "Administrators and now the media viewrs ALL know the rules were in place AHEAD OF TIME. the sensible methodical logical course is to get a ruling on the hijab PRIOR to the beginning of the season and then go with that. this is just a dare to the referee to act and thus make it a media issue."

The rule book in every sport is thick and lots of rules don't get enforced to the letter, or rely upon a complaint. Like jaywalking.

I've never been one to hold firmly to the view that a rule should be enforced simply because it is a rule when you are talking about a minor rule, no safety concern and pre-teens playing soccer for fun.

"The rule book in every sport is thick and lots of rules don't get enforced to the letter, or rely upon a complaint. Like jaywalking."

I beg to differ Ted. Soccer rules are pretty basic compared to other complicated sports, so I don't see how the rulebook could be all that difficult to comprehend.

Davidt
Maybe you should have a listen to Brigitte Gabriel. This might open your eyes.When you come to this country you should abide by our rules or leave.

I'm not sure if this has been mentionned but this incident didn't occur in the first game but actually happened in the third game. So there is a problem with being consistent when applying the rule, what's good one day isn't another??? In fairness to everyone involved, the coach should have informed the organizers about their player and her decision to wear the scarf (yes hers, apparently she likes it), and ensure that this wouldn't be a problem this could have solved a lot of headache. I'm impressed by the teams decision to bow out in support of their teammate those are values which should be appreciated.
As for the safety issue, I agree with Ted and DavidT, I hide my crucifix under my uniform for all sports as I think it's a moronic issue. I have more chance getting punch, kicked, run into than being strangled by my chain.
To quote Bad New Bears, "Let them play"

Keep the hijab out of Canada.

The ref, a muslim, had better keep his head up... for the rest of his life. Sadly!

My son was kicked off the field for just wearing a swastika headband...and everyone says "Of course he should have been kicked off if he didn't take it off".....well the hijab is a political symbol too. One that symbolizes the most demonic cult the planet has seen.

Good on the ref. Make it illegal to have mosques in Canada and it won't hurt my feelings.

(PS. I don't have kids and they wouldn't be wearing swastika headbands if I did)

Pat

A couple of points.

Several people metioned the importance of following the rules set out. The rule enforced was a rule that concerned saftey not a rule set out to prohibit religious women from wearing both the Hijab and playing soccer.

As a contract I would gladly argue in court that this little girl never broke the rule cited. In adition the rules of FIFA clearly state that the hijab is allowed.

I am also surprised by how eager the posters are to have government impose rules over religious worship. I would not have expected such big government horn blowing.

Wheninrome
said
"As it is, you're just blowing in the politcally correct, multi-culti, all religions/cultures are equal hurricane that's sweeping Canada--and you may just be surprised where you end up."

Ok you convinced me. What we need is not moderates talking to each other what we need is extreamist rhetoric and infantile alarmism.

And as for reading history rome, you may have noticed that the world has always had problems and right now we have never been safer in comparison to the chanage of the past.

A couple of points.

Several people metioned the importance of following the rules set out. The rule enforced was a rule that concerned saftey not a rule set out to prohibit religious women from wearing both the Hijab and playing soccer.

As a contract I would gladly argue in court that this little girl never broke the rule cited. In adition the rules of FIFA clearly state that the hijab is allowed.

I am also surprised by how eager the posters are to have government impose rules over religious worship. I would not have expected such big government horn blowing.

Wheninrome
said
"As it is, you're just blowing in the politcally correct, multi-culti, all religions/cultures are equal hurricane that's sweeping Canada--and you may just be surprised where you end up."

Ok you convinced me. What we need is not moderates talking to each other what we need is extreamist rhetoric and infantile alarmism.

And as for reading history rome, you may have noticed that the world has always had problems and right now we have never been safer in comparison to the carnage of the past.

In adition the rules of FIFA clearly state that the hijab is allowed....

Posted by: davidt at February 27, 2007 8:47 PM
==========

Really? Where? I took a look at the Laws, and I don't see anything. Do you have a linky?

Here is the Law on equipment:

Safety

- A player must not use equipment or wear anything that is dangerous to himself or another player (including any kind of jewellery).

Jewellery

- All items of jewellery are potentially dangerous. The term “dangerous” can sometimes be ambiguous and controversial, therefore in order to be uniform and consistent any kind of jewellery has to be forbidden.

- Players are not allowed to use tape to cover jewellery. Taping jewellery is not adequate protection.

- Rings, earrings, leather or rubber bands are not necessary to play and the only thing they can bring about is injury.

Islam: A death cult which murders women.

The hijab/veil is a symbol of Death.
...-

Three Palestinian Honor Killings in 24 Hours

People keep talking about giving the Palestinians a state, but in truth, they already have one—a society that sanctions and breeds murderers: Gazans upset by three suspected ‘honor killings’.

Three Palestinian women have been murdered in the Gaza Strip in the past 24 hours, Palestinian Authority security officials and local residents said.

The bodies of the women were discovered early Tuesday in the northern part of the Gaza Strip. The motive for the killings remained unclear. One of the victims, a 35-year-old mother of four, was found near the beach. She had been shot at least 13 times in different parts of her body, said a PA security official.

The other two women were killed separately and their bullet-riddled bodies were discovered late Monday. ...-

Meanwhile, the Ma’an news service is whitewashing the English versions of their reports for consumption by gullible foreigners, while peddling genocide and incitement to murder in Arabic: Hate terminology in Arabic sanitized in English translations by Palestinian news service....-
http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/

Okay the rules are at 3w.fifa.com. It takes about 1 minute to read the section on players equipment.

There is no specific exemption for or against the hijab. They do allow for soft protective headwear, but anything considered unsafe by the referee is not allowed. I would say the wearing of the hijab is judgement call by the referee. It is definitely not protective headwear, but does the referee consider it unsafe? That would be the only basis for allowing the Hijab.

We Cannot Solve the World's Problems With A Soccer Ball
...

Ah, the sweet sounds of moral relativism.

People may be evil, but evil is a matter of where you're standing.

Qatar may ban bathing suits and refuse to recognize the State of Israel. Qatari crowds may cheer regimes that sponsor mass murder both domestically and internationally. But that's all just a matter of perspective. What really matters is that everyone likes games involving spherical objects.

The sports press plays this same tune every four years, with the advent of the World Cup. ESPN ran an ad during the 2006 World Cup in which U2's Bono gravely informed the audience: "It's a simple thing. Just a ball and a goal. But once every four years that simple thing drastically changes the world. It closes the schools, closes the shops, closes the city, stops a war. A simple ball fuels the passion and pride of nations, gives people everywhere something to hope for, gives countries respect where respect is in short supply and achieves more than the politicians ever could. Once every four years a ball does the impossible."
...-
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1792623/posts

Aww the poor little girls...utter nonsense.

This one want's to play alright but not by the rules that everybody else does, but by the rules they want to bend to suite them. It's religious bigotry and a cash grab.

The rules likely don't say 'hijab' because perhaps when they were put forth years back, the hijab was not being worn by ANY eleven year old girl playing sports. The articles I read also stated she has "chosen to wear the hijab for a two years now..."
Why does a female muslim child 'feel the need' to wear a hijab before puberty when endless pictures of the ME clearly show that female children DO NOT wear the hijab at this early age, so why in Canada and why now?
To make a political point.
Mesage to me is -
"Let's show these ignorant Canuks how intolerant they really are."

Truly getting fed up with this crap.

Gee wonder if she'd get away with wearing such a bright red head covering in SA, Yemen, Syria or Palistine?

Even a cloth cage is a cage nonetheless.

Colour me jaded, but I fully expect that next will be the 'freedom scarf's' of the arafart designer collection, worn proudly by our media members first.

Well, that's settled! Now shut up and play.

Soccer's ruling body bans head scarves from game

http://news.sympatico.msn.ctv.ca/TopStories/ContentPosting.aspx?newsitemid=CTVNews%2f20070303%2fsoccer_headscarves_070303&feedname=CTV-TOPSTORIES_V2&showbyline=True