UPDATE: RESCHEDULED – CAIR-Georgia to Call on the United World Wrestling to Allow Religious Attire
The CAIR-Georgia press conference at the Running Eagles Performance Center scheduled for today, Tuesday, May 2, has been cancelled due to an emergency on the part of one of the participants. CAIR-GA plans to send an updated media advisory once the news conference is rescheduled.
(ATLANTA, GA, 4/28/2023) – On Tuesday, May 2 at 11 a.m., the Georgia chapter of the Council of American Islamic Relations (CAIR-Georgia), a chapter of the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, will hold a press conference in Marietta, Ga., with three female Muslim student wrestlers to call on Switzerland-based United World Wrestling (UWW) to amend its official Uniform Guidelines to allow religious attire to be worn by athletes of all faiths in international events.
WHEN: Tuesday, May 2 at 11 a.m. ET
WHERE: Running Eagles Performance Center (REP Center), Adjacent to Lupo Family Field, 1494 Barclay Cir #1154, Marietta, GA 30060
CONTACT: CAIR-GA Deputy Director Azka Mahmood, [email protected], (678) 653-5822
Reporting by the Huffington Post revealed that Jamilah, Latifah, and Zaynah McBryde withdrew from an opportunity to compete in international wrestling events, including the Pan-American Women’s Wrestling Championship, when participation in those events required the athletes to comply with the 2017 UWW Uniform Guidelines.
The Muslim women wrestlers were “…prohibited from participating in competitions and even forced to forfeit their wins,” as complying with the 2017 UWW Uniform Guidelines would have violate their sincerely-held Islamic beliefs to dress modestly.
SEE: “Muslim Women Wrestlers Just Want To Compete — But They Can’t For An Arbitrary Reason” (HuffPost)
BACKGROUNDER:
Washington, D.C., based CAIR has repeatedly supported the right of athletes to wear religious attire when they compete.
In 2017, CAIR welcomed the implementation of a ruling by the Switzerland-based International Basketball Federation (FIBA) that removed the ban on religious headgear and allows players who wear articles of faith — including the Islamic headscarf, or hijab, worn by Muslim female athletes — to participate in international competitions.
Also that year, CAIR welcomed a religious exemption granted to a teenage Muslim boxer in Minnesota who was previously barred from competition because she wore hijab.
Many international athletic organizations have modified their rules and policies to account for the various religious needs of participants. For example, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) lifted its respective bans on religious headgear, including hijabs.
In the past, CAIR helped a Muslim wrestler at the University at Buffalo in New York obtain a waiver from the NCAA to wear a beard he believes is required by his faith.
In 2011, CAIR welcomed a decision by the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) to modify its policy on competitor apparel to allow modest Islamic attire. The IWF policy change came following intervention by CAIR in the case of a Muslim weightlifter in Georgia who wished to compete while covering her hair, arms, and legs.
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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CONTACT: CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, [email protected]; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, [email protected]