SOCIETY
Whither Muslimas and Sports? Have feminists and sports figures found a common cause? BY NOOR SAADEH
I
t may seem that the sirat al-mustaqim (Straight Path) gets harder to navigate every passing day. Nowhere is this more apparent than in all issues relating to Muslimas, dress codes and women in general. To some extent we might say that the strong and very vocal support of male and female Western feminists for women’s right to choose is helping Muslimas as well. In the build-up to the recent Covid-delayed 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, a great deal of media attention was focused on several international women’s teams opting for new and less revealing athletic wear (https://www.npr. org/2021/07/21/1018768633/). Women and even men the world over supported the more modest — although still immodest under any Islamic view — uniforms. One can’t help but wonder if Muslimas had started this trend whether the outcome and level of support would have been the
same. Methinks not. But I appreciate that the acceptance of ever more immodest sportswear is at least being questioned as to its purpose (https://www.wsj.com/ articles/bye-bye-bikinis-athletes-at-theolympics-and-beyond-fight-sexist-uniforms-11627684035). It’s the elephant in the room. Men’s fashions simply have not changed much over time. We might see a few trends toward tighter pants and shirts, but not among the majority. Happily, I spent this summer in Jordan after a long hiatus due to the pandemic. I didn’t think I could manage yet another summer in hot, humid Dallas, where women’s clothing seems to be shrinking yearly and nothing seems prohibitively provocative anymore. At least in Jordan there is a balance, and even as a woman I don’t need to drop my gaze before the dress or undress of other women. Why is this so? If the female figure is not
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all that alluring, or if men should get over themselves as #MeToo’ers would insist, why are men not convinced or pressured to dress in the same revealing, objectifying manner as women? As Muslims we get it — or we should. Men and women are created equally but different. How we are attracted to one another, as well as our impulses and desires, are different. This is part of the Creator’s plan. Women insist on getting ahead by behaving and competing with men on the same level, but are still subjected to the whims of fashion that says “yes, be equal but sexier!” It’s still a man’s world. It’s there for all to see, but no one wants to admit it. Men certainly aren’t complaining at the cornucopia available to them wherever they look. Even when it comes to sporting attire, men and women’s clothing is vastly different. We’ve seen some game changers in worldwide sports. Role models like 2016 Olympic Bronze Medalist Ibtihaj Muhammad
