O Canadian Humiliation! Toeing a cultural line on the soccer field...
No hijab for you, Missy...
Rules forbid hijab, says Quebec Soccer Federation
The ejection of an 11-year-old Muslim girl from a soccer game has reignited Quebec’s debate over reasonable accommodation for minorities, even prompting comments from Premier Jean Charest.
Quebec’s soccer federation said Asmahan Mansour of Ottawa was given the choice of taking off her hijab or not playing in a Sunday tournament in nearby Laval. It says the hijab violated a no-headgear rule set down by the sport’s governing body for safety reasons.
But others have slammed the referee’s decision, saying it’s just another example of how Quebec is trying to get immigrants to toe a cultural line. The Quebec Soccer Federation also confirmed the referee is a Muslim.
Oh! The Humiliation!
Maria Mansour, the girl’s mother, was shocked and saddened by Sunday’s incident, which “humiliated” her daughter. She told CBC Radio that she thought the incident was racially motivated.
“Strongly, I do think so, because soccer is soccer whether it’s in Ontario or Quebec or Europe and it’s not right at all to not allow a Muslim girl who’s proud of her religion to play soccer, a sport she loves so much,” Mansour said. “It took a lot out of me to see my daughter in the middle being humiliated in front of a lot of people.”
The Muslim party line:
The Muslim Council of Montreal said the Ontario Soccer Association allows players to wear religious clothing on the field and urged the Quebec federation to respect the religious rights of its players.
Oh, the absolute horror!
“Asking minority groups to integrate cannot be equated with forcing them to assimilate and stripping them of their identity and rights,” said council spokesman Salam Elmenyawi.
The Montreal Muslim council also criticized Charest, saying he failed to address the issue properly and “sided with the decision of the referee.”
What nerve! Siding with decision of the referee as opposed to the decision of what? The Sharia courts? Feh.
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