“It seems like the worst nightmare has come true”: in the USA, outraged by the disqualification of a 16-year-old runner for wearing a hijab

In modern sport, few people are surprised at the presence of athletes in competitions in special clothing that matches their religious beliefs. The largest companies are engaged in sewing this form, and the possibility of wearing it is prescribed in the regulations of most international tournaments. However, when it comes to smaller starts, their participants may still encounter misunderstanding and even disqualifications.

It was this story that caused a wide public outcry in the United States. 16-year-old Nur Alexandria Abukaram took part in competitions for Ohio state high school students. She ran a distance of 5 km with a personal record, but then her result was not counted due to the hijab on her head.

The girl was supported not only by ordinary fans, but also by activists, journalists, politicians and public figures. So, the athlete was supported by the famous composer and pianist Chloe Flower.

“I hope that your story will continue to not only inspire those who have similar experiences, but also change the mindset of those who suffer from intolerance and ignorance,” the musician emphasized.

In turn, political observer Keith Boykin expressed bewilderment at the fact that Abukaram learned about the ban only after the finish line.

“So you want to tell me that they forced her to run the entire long distance and didn’t say anything until the moment she finished the race?”, Boykin wrote on Twitter.

The story received wide publicity after Abukaram told about it on his Facebook page. The result of the 5 km race allowed her and her school team to break into the next regional stage of the competition. The joy of this event was replaced by bewilderment when the athlete did not find her name in the finish protocol.

She was later informed that the hijab was the cause of the disqualification. According to the girl, the hardest moments were given to her in the first minutes after the race. She called her father, but was so depressed that she could not explain to him what had happened.

“As if your worst nightmare had come true: you are competing, and then you will find out that you are disqualified for the fact that you love. Why sacrifice your religion and part of yourself for the sake of running, which you also love very much? ”Says Abukaram.

Athlete coach Jerry Fowers admitted that he knew about the possible disqualification of the ward, but did not inform her about it so as not to upset and distract from the competition. The girl herself noted that in this situation, she was most outraged by the actions of the organizers, not the coach.

The fact is that one of the members of her team also faced with troubles associated with appearance, in anticipation of the race. The color of the girl’s shorts differed from the shape of her colleagues, which the judges noticed. She was allowed to start only after she changed clothes. At the same time, Abukaram did not receive a warning for her hijab.

Tim Stride, a spokeswoman for the Ohio State High School Athletics Association (OHSAA), who sponsored the competition, explained the position of the organizers. Each participant must submit an application in advance that his form does not comply with the regulation. According to him, this document was not provided either by Abukaram herself or by any of her team.

“The organizer simply acted in accordance with the regulations, as permission was not granted. After the race, OHSAA contacted the school, which then applied for such permission. He was immediately approved, which will allow the young athlete to take part in regional competitions this weekend, ”Stride emphasized.

At the same time, Abukaram herself expressed bewilderment at why she had to file a request.

“I don’t need to create any special conditions, I’m not disabled, I participate in the race along with everyone. When the coach informed me about this, I didn’t think: “Coach, why didn’t you do this?” On the contrary, I was surprised that we basically had to do this, ”she said.

It is worth noting that in addition to running, Abukaram takes part in football competitions. Since 2016, in each of them, an attribute of her form is a scarf and clothes that completely hide her arms and legs, but so far she has not had any problems in this regard.

The representative of the Ohio State High School Athletics Association Tim Stride did not rule out that in the near future, the rule that Muslim clothing is considered a violation of competition regulations may be repealed.

Despite the unpleasant aftertaste after the incident, Abukaram was pleased with his outcome. She was especially impressed by the number of messages with words of support that began to come to her after the publication of the story.