What if it had been a cross or a Star of David that she wanted to wear? From AP, with thanks to Bill Webb, Nicolei, Ali Dashti, and all others who alerted me to this:
TAMPA – (AP) — The University of South Florida will ask the NCAA to grant an exemption to its uniform policy by allowing a Muslim basketball player to wear clothing that adheres to her religion.
Andrea Armstrong, a 22-year-old Muslim convert, said she left the team and lost her athletic scholarship last week after her head coach told her she could not wear religiously mandated clothing during practices or games. She wanted to wear long pants, a top with long sleeves and a head scarf.
USF officials said Armstrong voluntarily left the team and was under no pressure to do so.
In a meeting Friday among Armstrong, university officials and a representative of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, officials agreed that the team would accommodate her Islamic attire and reinstate her scholarship. The university also agreed to work with the National Collegiate Athletic Association on the scarf issue.
”An athlete should not be asked to choose between engaging in healthy sporting activities and her deeply held religious beliefs,” said Ahmed Bedier, who took part in the meeting as Florida spokesman for the American-Islamic council.