Image courtesy of the Washington Post
When was the last time the combination of clothes and sports caused an international incident? (not including that little “costume malfunction” at the Super Bowl )
Step aside, Janet Jackson, Iranian women soccer players are now center stage.
The ruling body for international soccer, FIFA has banned the Iranian women’s team from playing because of their uniforms.
They were disqualified right before the team was set to play an Olympic qualifying game against Jordan. Jordan was given a forfeit victory, eliminating the Iranian women’s team from playing in the 2012 Olympics.
The reason cited for the disqualification is that the women’s uniform – including a track suit and a head scarf, covering the full body as required of women in Iran – violate FIFA dress code.
In 2007, FIFA banned headscarves for “safety reasons.”
And the FIFA rules for the 2012 Olympics state that
Players and officials shall not display political, religious, commercial or personal messages or slogans in any language or form on their playing or team kits.
However, the Iranian soccer team reports that upon the announcement of the 2012 Olympic policy designed scarves that would adhere to the new rules.
FIFA officials disagree though, saying that the team was informed before the match that their uniform was not within the dress code.
The team plans to lodge a protest of the ruling, and the Iranian president has condemned the decision saying,
Theses are the dictators and colonialists who want to impose their lifestyle on others. We will deal with those who carried out this ugly job. We follow definite rights of our girls.
The FIFA vice president, Prince Ali of Jordan, has indicated that the Federation may review the issue to try and find a compromise, explaining that,
This is an important issue that I will raise with the Asian Football Confederation and with the International Federation of Association Football. We will work together to find a solution that respects the rules of the game and the culture at the same time.
It is not certain an accommodation will be reached in this thorny issue. The Iranian women’s chances of competing at the 2012 Olympics are almost certainly dashed.
It seems the only thing worse than mixing religion with politics is mixing religion, politics AND sports.
