Ahmad Al-Sabah Declares That Hijabs Must be Accepted

By Jasmine Roziers

After the controversy of the hijab being banned from the Asian Games after Qatar’s womens basketball team showed up to the match wearing the headwear and after being told it was banned, the team forfeited. They were told by the International Basketball Federation or FIBA that they could not play with hijabs on. Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, president of the Olympic Council of Asia finds the ban to be outrageous. According to Times of Israel, Al-Sabah was quoted as saying " 'Hijab has been approved in all sports, all the FIFA, volleyball, track and field — everywhere there is hijab, only in basketball [is it banned],' he said. 'There is no reason to reject hijab in sport,'" The council of the Asian Games are currently deciding whether or not to allow the headwear in the games next year.