A Winnipeg girl who was banned from a judo tournament for wearing her traditional Muslim headscarf is starting a petition to have the rules changed.
Hagar Outbih burst into tears when officials with Judo Manitoba told the 11-year-old girl she would not be able to compete in a tournament on Saturday while covered by her hijab.
A lawyer representing the national organization Judo Canada said the decision is consistent with the International Judo Federation's safety guidelines.
"There might be a situation where someone has an unfair advantage by having an extra piece of garment to hold on to," Telly Mercury told CBC News. "So we've discussed this both locally, nationally and internationally and we follow those rules. It's got nothing to do with discrimination or anything of that nature."
But Hagar's coach, Shirin Farag, said she has worn her hijab in judo competitions for the past 10 years without any problems. Hagar has responded to the decision by circulating a petition that advocates for a change in the rules to allow women to wear the hijab while competing.
FULL STORY
Should the rules be changed to accommodate women with hijabs in judo competitions? What do you think?
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Hagar Outbih burst into tears when officials with Judo Manitoba told the 11-year-old girl she would not be able to compete in a tournament on Saturday while covered by her hijab.
A lawyer representing the national organization Judo Canada said the decision is consistent with the International Judo Federation's safety guidelines.
"There might be a situation where someone has an unfair advantage by having an extra piece of garment to hold on to," Telly Mercury told CBC News. "So we've discussed this both locally, nationally and internationally and we follow those rules. It's got nothing to do with discrimination or anything of that nature."
But Hagar's coach, Shirin Farag, said she has worn her hijab in judo competitions for the past 10 years without any problems. Hagar has responded to the decision by circulating a petition that advocates for a change in the rules to allow women to wear the hijab while competing.
FULL STORY
Should the rules be changed to accommodate women with hijabs in judo competitions? What do you think?
More...