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Turkey lifts headscarf ban in basketball match

Xinhua, September 23, 2016 Adjust font size:

The Turkish Basketball Federation (TBF) lifted the regulation preventing female players from wearing the headscarf, or hijab, the Turkish Daily Sabah reported Friday.

The decision was made with the backing of Youth and Sports Minister Akif Kilic, and other senior Turkish officials. After the lifting of the ban, female players now have permission to play wearing a headscarf during basketball games in Turkey.

FIBA currently has a rule known as Article 4.4.2 that prohibits players from wearing any "headgear" or "hair accessories" on the court, with the exception of headbands that do not exceed five centimeters in width.

That prohibition includes headgear and accessories worn for religious reasons. It also covers all basketball games, leagues and tournaments sanctioned by FIBA - which includes most professional leagues outside of the United States, the Olympics, the FIBA World Cup, and regional contests.

Indira Kaljo and Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir, two Muslim American women who played college basketball in the U.S. and have been at the forefront of the #fibaALLOWhijab movement, are spearheading the campaign through Change.org to acquire signatures and build support to influence FIBA's decision. Endit