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Hijab controversy: Champion beneath the veil

FE Team | Published: November 14, 2016 20:57:45 | Updated: October 23, 2017 11:25:03

Hijab controversy: Champion beneath the veil


I don't know about you all, but I am pretty tired of the world's obsession with hijab and Muslim women. There has been much resistance and conflict in general over the hijab-wearing athletes participating in competitions. It is happening worldwide from the USA to the Middle East. Let's look at just a couple of challenges that the hijab-wearing sportswomen have faced. At first, it was during the Summer Olympics when an athlete named Ibtihaj Muhammad of Team USA Fencing competed in a hijab. From Aljazeera to USA Today, every global media went overboard with headlines like 'First Muslim woman to compete in hijab.' This contestant later said she had a point to prove that religion should not hinder anyone from achieving their goals. Lately, a little over a month ago, the hijab controversy in the field of athletics has sparked a national conversation in Turkey. 
A twenty-year-old Turkish female athlete named Kubra Dagli who participated in hijab recently bagged a gold medal in Taekwondo at the World Championships in Lima, Peru. The Turkish team did very well and got five gold, four silver and seven bronze medals. Ms.Dagli brought enormous pride to the country by making her dream come true. Her accomplishment should have been a cause for nation-wide celebration. But regrettably, Kubra Dagli's success became the talk of Turkey because she wears a hijab. 
Dagli's hijab instantly made her a target of severe criticism instead of a source of inspiration. It's a shame that her choice to wear a hijab overshadowed her remarkable athletic achievement. Both secular and religious sections of the Turkish society (mostly men) voiced strong opinions on social media on her role as a sporting figure and whether she fits the image of a role model for other aspiring young athletes.
The liberals and the seculars in so-called 'secular' Turkey saw her hijab as a sign of backwardness. They have criticised her choices and made fun of her by asking her to spend more time at home reading the Qur'an instead of participating in sports. These are supposed elites of Turkey with progressive ideas who see their country as Western.
On the other side of the spectrum, the conservatives, who attach Turkey with the Middle East, subjected her to a lot of backlash as well for taking part in the competition in her traditional headscarf. The religious group was also very critical of her because she had a hijab on while showing her bare feet. In Taekwondo, one of the most ancient traditional Martial Arts, movements cannot be done perfectly with shoes on. They simply ignored that simple tenet. Many twitter posts similar to 'Naked feet, covered head, hips and thighs out there, you are a commodity, what of it is proper?' went viral. 
Moreover, there were other obscene twitter comments (I am not mentioning here for the sake of decorum) about her various positions during the competition. Some suggested that with a hijab on, a woman's place is in the home taking care of her children and family. Those conservatives believe an athletic arena is not the right place for a hijab-wearing woman. 
To be able to participate in sports, either in the national or international level, should be a matter of great pride for any athlete. For a female athlete, the choice to wear a hijab shouldn't limit her participation in any sport because it is not just a choice, but a basic human right. Just like other women around the world choose to dress without generating any major controversy, women from Muslim-majority countries shouldn't either. Those who wish to wear a hijab are within their rights and deserve to participate in sports at home and internationally. Why should hijab really define a woman's ability to do anything? Why should their lives be restricted just because they choose to cover their head? 
Erdogan's Turkey seems to be regressing for some time to a dogmatic Islamic era from an open-minded secular past. Turkey's liberalism now is not what it used to be during the time of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk when girls were seen as equal to boys. Ataturk wanted to Westernise Turkey. With Erdogan's Muslim nationalism, the country is now in a different place altogether where religious conservatism has progressed especially to oppose the westernised elites who ruled Turkey during the previous decades. With the Erdogan era, the change in Turkey came at the price of increased conservatism and Kubra Dagli became a scapegoat. 
The way the seculars and the conservatives tried to malign an accomplished athlete by undermining her great success is highly offensive. The secular and liberal Turkey's comments about Dagli's hijab dismayed me the most as they failed to see her beyond her veil. 
Turkey, in the recent decades has taken a back step to prevent modernisation and often follows strict religious codes in all aspects of life. Hijab-wearing women might not be a sight for sore eyes (for some) but they are everywhere in Turkey including Istanbul. Many Turkish women wear hijab and some don't. 
We know that hijab is discussed with vehement criticism because of its attachment to religion and Islam. If there was no connection between hijab and religion, no one would even blink an eye. Many women of African descents wear elaborate head wrap that has nothing to do with any religious obligations. Whether women wear it to exhibit aesthetics or to make a statement, the question of hijab vs religion or hijab vs fashion shouldn't take the centre stage in the 21st century.
Wearing hijab in the present day is also associated with political Islam and that is why those female athletes who wear hijab have become the subjects of hijab hullabaloo. Hijab has been made to become politicised though it has got nothing to do with politics. Therefore, we shouldn't attempt to make this a strict ideology and connect hijab as a widely accepted face of Islam.
Muslim women should have the freedom to select their dress code in whatever way they feel comfortable. Hijab only is part of some Muslim women's identity related to their religious beliefs blended into their daily lives while others wear it as a fashion statement. If they do it as a symbol of modesty and dignity adopted by them, it is their right to do so. It is a woman's inherent right to choose her way of life either as a female follower of Islam or as a secular participant. Why should those women submit to other people's limited perceptions to define them? 
Though there are times when I cover my head for traditional and religious purposes, other times I don't make it a focal point. Does that make me less of a Muslim? Of course, not. I feel I am just as Muslim as those who wear hijab all the time. My personal choice doesn't give me any right to criticise and ridicule those who don hijab every day as a show of respect for religion and the culture that demands it. 
When I saw a video of Kubra Dagli in her Taekwondo moves, I didn't see her veiled face as an abomination. I only saw a spirited, confident, bright young woman glowing from her inner light. Those images are so beautiful and artistic that for the life of me I wouldn't dare to give a negative twist and only praise her strength, agility and talent. 
How is Kubra Dagli handling all the negativity in Turkey's intolerant and rigid culture? She is fighting on without giving any consideration to those who continue to vilify her passion for this sport. She is telling others that a hijab-wearing woman should be celebrated for her success. She wants to continue with her sports with head held high. She ignored all the condemnation and has been encouraging other women athletes or anyone else who wants to pursue her dream. She decided to bask in the glory and not be a victim of negative criticism. She is showing others that a person's religious belief shouldn't control her dreams. 
Kubra Dagli is a role model to other Muslim women in spite of all the labels associated with her. Men in Turkey tried to tell her what little image box she should fit into. But she is not an object who should fit into a box to please others and be content. She paid no attention to the misogynists with overly religious tone nor did she let the ultra-moderns get away who scoffed at her for wearing hijab in representing Turkey. 
Times are changing and a Muslim woman's identity should not be narrowed down to one visible symbol in the form of hijab. Trying to stereotype Muslim women in a negative way and men assigning their roles in society is something that should have ended in the Middle Ages. But sadly, such backsliding occurrences are nothing new in Muslim-majority countries even in 2016. 
Taekwondo not only taught Dagli physical fighting skills - the rigorous training of her body and mind furthermore enhanced her inner spirit. She has shown toughness and resilience in the face of reproach and that embodies her true spirit. 
By winning the gold medal, Kubra Dagli in a way fought against the misconception that hijab is oppressive and was able to introduce it as a symbol of diversity. Her bold presence and ultimately her win demanded that the world of sports should not be rigid and be open to all women to promote acceptance and diversity. Understanding of an athlete's choice to dress the way she wishes is important and her preference should be accommodated. A Muslim woman, partaking in sports whether it is Taekwondo or something else should not be restricted or criticised when she chooses to participate by donning the hijab.
zeenat.khan1983@gmail.com
 

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