Female players sidelined in Mississauga Muslim soccer team’s protest
Female players sidelined in Mississauga Muslim soccer team’s protest
Girls sat out after ISNA team offered to forfeit rather than play against girls
Hamilton Spectator
By Nicholas Keung
Carla Briscoe was "in shock" when the all-male players of a rival high school soccer team raised concerns about playing against members of the opposite sex.
The rival team, from a private Islamic high school, raised the issue during a half-time break and offered to forfeit the game rather than continue playing against a team with girls on it.
"I was really upset, in shock," said Briscoe, a Grade 12 student at Caledon's Robert F. Hall Catholic School, who chose to sit on the sidelines for the rest of Tuesday's game against Mississauga's ISNA (Islamic Society of North America) Islamic High School.
"We were only two goals ahead. I didn't want to ruin the game for the rest of the guys. We just couldn't let them forfeit the game because we needed the extra goals to advance," the 18-year-old said.
he game between ISNA Islamic High School and Robert F. Hall in the Region of Peel Secondary School Athletic Association's regional tournament has renewed the ongoing debate about balancing religious accommodation and gender equality.
On Friday, ISNA issued a statement apologizing for the "confusion and misunderstandings" arising from the incident, saying it had not been aware of ROPSSAA's rules allowing female players on boys' teams.
"The opposing team chose to substitute the female players as opposed to accepting the forfeit. In hindsight, ISNA regrets that the female players felt they could not participate," the statement said.
"It was never the team's intention to exclude female participation . . . The team sincerely regrets if any team members or participants were hurt or felt discriminated" against, the statement added.
Briscoe, who is one of only two female players on the Robert F. Hall team, has been left with some feelings of bitterness.
"I respect their culture and religion, and I don't want to say anything bad about their religion just like I don't want others to say anything bad about the Catholics. But I have my right to play as much as their right to religious freedom," she said.
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Female players sidelined in Mississauga Muslim soccer team’s protest
Religious freedom vs gender equality......and the bell has sounded.