Professional
Sports and Muslim Women Athletes
By Dr Shahid Athar
Indianapolis
Sania Mirza, India’s teenage
tennis star, is a Muslim and is currently faced
with a dilemma: to continue participating in international
tournaments in the tennis outfit (short skirt
and sleeveless shirt) or heed the advice of the
ulema who are critical of it, or to act on the
ruling of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board
which approves of her tennis uniform.
Elsewhere too there have been similar cases. There
was one such case in Florida relating to the expulsion
of a newly converted Muslim girl who wanted to
play basketball covering her head with a hijab.
She finally won the case but her harassment continued,
and I am told, she finally renounced Islam.
Muslims are divided on such issues - whether to
modernize or to remain strict followers of Islam
in private life. Once I was asked by the principal
of a high school about this dichotomy in Muslim
behavior. Apparently a Muslim girl had refused
to participate in a swimming class in the swim
suite, and he said, “There is another girl
who does, and says she is also a Muslim!”
In my humble opinion, this is an individual decision
of the affected Muslim woman and not of the ulema
(Muslim scholar, religious board or the sports
authority). The athlete has to decide herself
to what extent she wishes to practice Islam in
her internal and external life. All of us who
claim to know Islam can give some guidelines about
Islamic dress (awra) for men and women. We should
not issue fatwa of kufr on those Muslims who don’t
follow Islam fully in their daily life. The reason
I mention men here is because I vividly recall
once Dr. Israr Ahmed, a Muslim scholar, declaring
in Pakistan that “Muslim women should not
watch cricket as the outfit of male players is
un-Islamic”! His observation generated a
big controversy similar to the current Sania Mirza
debate in India.
Sports authorities and spectators must also be
clear in their mind if their presence at a court
is meant for enjoying the finer points of the
game or to watch the bare legs or other parts
of the player? It is a matter of shame that we
men pay more attention to physical beauty than
the talent and skills of the player and it is
also a shame that some women have to dress to
please men spectators.
Muslim women should know the difference between
the values of the Barbie doll and a Muslim doll.
Here is a poem on the subject that I have penned:
Barbie and the Muslim Doll
Said the Barbie doll to the Muslim
doll,
Welcome to the USA
The land of the free and the brave
Have some fun
Said the Muslim doll to the Barbie
doll
Tell me what you mean by
The free, the brave and fun
Said the Barbie doll to the Muslim
doll
For us, the free means
Freedom from clothes, God and men
To be free to choose your lifestyle
And your mate, male or female
Brave means to experiment with
drugs, alcohol and sex
Fun means dating, dancing and drinking
Whatever makes you happy
Said the Muslim doll to the Barbie
doll
For us, the free means
To think freely
To speak freely
And to worship God freely
For us, the brave means
The one who fights temptation, lust and hate
Are you brave?
For us, the fun means
To enjoy life with friends, family and the nature
No just with Ken
Said the Barbie doll to the Muslim
doll
These are all good values
You will soon forget as you live
You will melt down as you live
You will become one of us
You will have your Ken
Said the Muslim doll to the
Barbie doll
To you is your way of life
To us is our way of life
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