A middle school girl was kept out of the first half of a basketball game Saturday because a referee ruled her religious headscarf, called a hijab, was a safety hazard.
Thirteen-year-old Maheen Haq of Hagerstown, Md. was sidelined until Lou Bachtell, the Mid-Maryland Girls Basketball League regional director, arrived to the court at halftime, called league President Jim Shannon and got an exemption approved.
Haq’s parents were upset, though they didn’t protest the referee’s decision. Other parents watching the game volunteered to pull their daughters out of the game and walk out in protest, but Haq’s mother Anila, declined the offer. “My daughter’s heart was broken and I didn’t want to break other hearts as well,” the mother said.
Haq’s parents had to agree to assume liability for any injuries that might occur from their daughter’s traditional Muslim headscarf, before she would be allowed to play, Shannon said.
League coordinator Daphnie Campbell said the official was “right to make that decision” to keep her out of the game because headscarves could be dangerous in sports if not properly secured. “If a child’s hand comes down and grabs it, it very possibly could snap her neck or break the other person’s hand,” Campbell said.
Campbell said she will meet with Haq’s parents Saturday to sign off on a letter stating that they will assume responsibility for any injuries that could occur because of the hijab.
“I am going to approve it that she is able to play in any game that she wants to play in. No questions,” Campbell said. At the spring coaches meeting Campbell said she will re-evaluate the uniform rules. “I really don’t see that as an issue,” she said. “We’re probably going to see more kids with these things on their heads because of their religion.”