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Olympics: hijab-clad sprinter beats infidels at their own games

Aug 21, 2008 9:46 am By Raymond Ibrahim

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As an athlete, good for her. As a Muslima participating in a wholly infidel event that has absolutely no connection to Islam — women racing and being awarded medals representative of mushrik Greece? — well, the following Koranic verse comes to mind: “O you who believe! If you obey the infidels they will turn you back upon your heels, so you will turn back losers” (3:149). “Muslim sprinter wins Olympic sprint dressed head to toe in hijab,” by Niall Firth, for Daily Mail, August 20:

Sprinters have long been squeezing their muscular frames into the most eye-wateringly skimpy, tight and revealing costumes imaginable.

But one female athlete at this year’s Olympics is bucking the trend for bulging lycra and naked torsos.

In 2004, Bahrain’s Ruqaya Al Ghasara, a devout Muslim, was the first athlete to ever take part in an Olympics wearing a hijab.

Today, Al Ghasara won her heat of the women’s 200m sprint at the Bird’s Nest stadium – despite being clothed head to foot.

After all, the Koran declares, “Are these [al-munafiqun, the “hypocrites”] they who swore by Allah with the most forcible of their oaths that they were most surely with you? Their deeds shall go for nothing, so they shall become losers. O you who believe! whoever from among you turns back from his religion, then Allah will bring a[nother] people, He shall love them and they shall love Him, lowly before the believers, mighty against the infidels, they shall strive hard in Allah’s way and shall not fear the censure of any censurer.” (5:53-54). In other words, those who reject Allah’s way will lose; those who follow it — such as al-Ghasara — win (and Allah knows best).

Al Ghasara finished first followed by France’s Muriel Hurtis-Houairi and Sri Lanka’s Susanthika Jayasinghe.

Admittedly, Al Ghasara ‘s hijab is a rather sportier version of the traditional dress.

Clinging to her body as she powers down the track the hijab completely covers her head, arms and legs.

“And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty…” (Koran 24:31). But wait: as many ulema have commented, the ultimate reason for the hijab is to cover a woman’s “form” so that, say, the shape of her legs do not appear and tempt men. So does Ruqaya’s “hijab” — “clinging to her body” and revealing those most muscular quadriceps — count?

Known as a Hijood – or hijab combined with a sports hood – the costume was specially designed for Al Ghasara by an Australian sports clothing company.

It allows Muslim athletes to compete while still adhering to the strict modesty required of their faith.[…]

Though of course Muslims could argue that there’s nothing modest about a Muslim woman participating in an infidel event, surrounded by infidels. But, as is common to the Islamic world, as long as she scored one over the infidels, the particulars of sharia may be overlooked — by some:

In 2004 Al Ghasara defied objections from fundamentalists in her village to take part in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, running in the 100 metres.

And in 2006 she won the women’s 200m final at the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, making her the first Bahraini-born athlete to win a major international athletics gold medal.

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