Culture  Sports  London Olympics
Saudi judoka banned from wearing hijab at Olympics
AFP
Published: 26.07.12, 18:24
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26 Talkbacks for this article
1. here's my thought
SA ,   USA   (07.26.12)
I think the sharia guidelines were not made to account for times when women would be competing in judo. Can't have it both ways.
2. Obey sharia?
Amichai ,   Huntsville, US   (07.26.12)
The hijab is no more a religious requirement than the kippa is! In fact, they both have about the same "legal" standing - it's nice to do but completely optional. They were both instituted as traditions and neither one had a commandment to wear it. It's just an example of the radicals imposing Islam on the world.
3. Saudi Arabia, ladies&gentlemen
HaifaGuy   (07.26.12)
The beacon of the Umma. What a disgrace to humanity. If I was Muslim or Arab or Sunni or all of the above, I'd be totally embarrassed to have these baffoons representing me. I wonder what Catholics would say if the Vatican returned to the good ole inquisition, torture, public executions, defenestration, mind control, unameit.
4. Poor Saudi girl
Ben Ze'ev ,   Panama City anama   (07.26.12)
The sharia "guidelines" as you call them are a bloody joke. Medieva times have GON- over 500 years ago.l These Arab crazies are not fit to mix with normal people. The poor girl will probably be executed when she get back home, for looking at a man. The whole thing is most likely a publicity stunt to show that the dis are "normal". many of the royals" are western educated and know hat the circumstances at the games are. And what kind of decision was it for the US educated and raised girl to go back to that desert hole of primitivenes. She much be sick in the head.
5. Shaherkani
John Cley ,   USA, LA CA   (07.26.12)
Is that an actual picture of Soudi Arabian athlete? OMG She needs to keep her HIJAB on. It may be a dude.
6. On the other hand.....
Koose E Mack ,   NY NY   (07.26.12)
She's such a zeeskeit that she'd be doing the world a favor by covering her face
7. she should also be asked to shave her mustache!
jerome ,   basalt, colorado   (07.26.12)
8. Sharia Law versus Sport's Law . ?
Roland Seener ,   London England   (07.26.12)
9. Backwardness
Dr Geltfelt ,   Baltimore   (07.26.12)
1) She doesnt look like a sportswoman. 2) The terrorist Shmattah has no place in our society.
10. between this nut and the Jewish one...
Larry ,   Los Angeles   (07.26.12)
We just saw the article about the Orthodox Jewish weight lifter and now about this ultra-religious Arab lady who engages in Judo. What happened to sports where people were normal? Can't we return back to people like Babe Ruth who were wholesome and normal? What a sign of the times. Soon we will have sportspeople on the field with their psychologists.
11. Why should it bother them that she's wearing a head scarf?
(07.26.12)
It's not as if her face is covered.
12. Here's MY thought.
Gideon Reader   (07.26.12)
Those miserible conspirators of the Tukogawa Regime and that fancy shmancy shogun are just libertine troublemakers. How dare they futz about with Shakira Law? something to do with shaking one's booty without a katana, no?
13. lol Goodbye with the Hijab
Bonnie ,   The Greatest country   (07.26.12)
It is all a show for the Saudi gov. as u can c she is not even qualified to compete, she is a looser all around, The day tourists DO NOT HAVE TO WEAR A HIJAB in SAUDI ARABIA, will be the day u can wear your hijab in london and Paris.
14. The Olympic games are of Greec and NOT of Arab origin!
Yael Schlichting ,   Rosenheim (Germany)   (07.26.12)
15. The moslem nations should have their own
A ,   Belgium   (07.26.12)
olympics and not even be allowed to participate in the olympics of the MODERN world...UNLESS...they are willing to compete and possibly lose with honor to any other nation in the modern world, including of course Israel. If they cant carry out this one example of leaving politics at home for the sake of the game, than let them have a very large suicide bomber competition with lots of winners. For themselves alone.
16. #11 It Should Be!!!!!!!!!!
(07.26.12)
17. Larry, U obviously know what U tak'n bout
Jerome ,   Basalt,Colorado   (07.27.12)
The Babe was a raging party boozer and if someone is religious doesn't mean they are not normal. Maybe just to you they are not normal and it is your norm to booze. I still think theBabe was great!
18. Judo,a sport for men,not for women
Anna M Sedda ,   Rome   (07.27.12)
I don t think the coran and sharia allowed women to play a man sport,so she be home,anyway ....doing women stuff...
19. Didn't she have to qualify?
Rhonda ,   Chicago, USA   (07.27.12)
I don't understand how she qualified for the Games...I thought people had to have competed and achieved some sort of ranking. In the sport for 2 years? No blackbelt? Something is off here...
20. Proof Gd has a sense of humor
Ber ,   Yahud   (07.27.12)
He let Saudi Arabia pass for a country, and they he even gave the people there the most valuable natural resource in the history of the world, so that we can witness this celestial joke on man kind, as grandiose and as absurd as it possibly could be. It's like a monty python movie, except it's not that funny if you're not the Infinite and don't get the joke.
21. wear your deshdashes and black paper
UNCLE JOE ,   CT , USA   (07.27.12)
bags over you heads .i would like to see the ''sharia '' teams playing soccer in their deshdashes ,getting entangled and tripping on it all over the field .would'nt that be fun ??sharia = dog poop .
22. this young sportswoman looks like the East German swimmers..
Just Askin' ,   Israel   (07.27.12)
remember? There were always questions about the sportswomen on the East German Swim team... remember they all always refused to take a chromosome test? In other words maybe this sportswoman doesn't need to wear a hijab. No disrespect intended I am just askin!
23. not her, but her country
Michael ,   Washington, DC   (07.27.12)
I assume she's participated in Judo tournaments before, and since the hijab is banned, I doubt she's done so wearing one. Note the wording in the article - SA refused to send women unless the women agreed to wear the hijab. I obviously don't know how religious she is, but she's clearly being forced into this, not doing it by choice.
24. Why don't they make a specially-designed version of this
Henry from New York ,   Currently in Israel   (07.27.12)
head-covering that could comply with Olympic regulations and also with Sha'ria Law? It's worth a shot.
25. #11 noname, #18 anna
solomon ,   bklyn   (07.27.12)
#11- Many holds that a player puts on the opponent involves the head. Also the upper shoulder area as the part of the jacket (the "gi") in this area is held during many throws. A scarf, or any other material, would interfere and thereby allow an advantage to the wearer. #18- Judo, and all other sports, are for both men and women.
26. #19: Only Comment Worth Backing
emanon ,   USA   (07.27.12)
With only two years training and no upper ranking, she is clearly outclassed. She probably did qualify for her country and, given the repression of women in the arab world, I'm sure she did best her other competitor. She may be the best female Judoka her country has to offer, but she is not up to international standards. International standards for the sport in question, not theological standards, also govern the athlete's attire.
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