What the Olympics Meant to Me: A Hijabi’s Perspective
Despite its many flaws with the sociopolitical situation in Brazil, this year’s Olympics were probably the greatest ever. The games displayed the talent of Muslim athletes from all over the world in a variety of sports. We saw American saber fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad and Egyptian weight lifter Sarah Ahmed win bronze medals for their countries. Muhammad was the first American athlete to compete in a hijab, while Ahmed was the first female medalist for Egypt EVER and the first Arab woman to win a medal in weightlifting at the Olympics. Also making waves for Egypt was Doaa Elghobashy alongside her partner Nada Meawad who competed in Egypt’s first beach volleyball team with long sleeved shirts and pants and Doaa even wore a hijab, sparking a discussion about women’s right to wear what they want in sport. Iran’s Kimia Alizadeh Zenoorin and Egypt’s Hedaya Wahba both won bronze medals in taekwondo while competing in hijabs. To add to the positivity, Dalilah Muhammad was the first American Muslim woman to win a gold medal in track and field. All equally deserve recognition for their athleticism and patriotism to their respective nations.
This is a far cry from what I grew up seeing and what I had been told. My parents tried really hard to put me in team sports, even after I started wearing a headscarf at age 14. But it was hard, and I felt conscious about myself that I couldn’t do it simply because I had never seen anyone amongst my friends or family do it with adjustments to the uniform. Though I wish I would have been less conscious of myself, seeing these Muslim women both hijabi and non hijabi is truly inspiring. On top of that, in the wake of the 2016 Olympics there are now louder calls to make more accommodations in sports. For example, the hashtag #LetThemPlay is pushing the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) to lift a headgear ban that prevents some Sikhs, Muslims and Jews from playing due to their religious attire.
I know even though I’m well into my 20s I can still try something new because it doesn’t seem so intimidating anymore. I now see more and more of my fellow Muslim women, hijabi and non hijabi, confidently signing up for sports and making uniform adjustments as needed. Furthermore, seeing members of other faiths like the Sikh community calling for change to make playing sports more accessible for them only makes our voices stronger and better. It is a beautiful sight to see the strength of our women in their sport and their faith, not only creating milestones and crushing ridiculous stereotypes about the weak and oppressed Muslim woman but destroying the perception that Muslim women are a monolith as well.
