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FIFA lifts headscarf ban for women Muslim players

06 July 2012 03:03 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. FIFAâ€™s decision-making panel has voted unanimously to reverse a ban on women wearing the Islamic headscarf during matches,APA reports quoting Press TV.

The International Football Association Board (IFAB) overturned the ban and agreed to rewrite the laws after studying reports from the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA)â€™s medical officer, AFP reported on Thursday.

â€œSafety and medical issues have been removed for the use of the headscarf and it is approved that players can have the headscarf,â€ FIFA Secretary-General Jerome Valcke told reporters.

â€œThe only remaining point now is the color and design of the headscarf,â€ he added. The details about the color and design are set to be discussed at the IFAB annual meeting in October.

The decision clears the way for the Muslim women wearing the headgearâ€™s participation in international competitions. Female Muslim players have been barred from wearing headscarves, an article of the Islamic dress code or hijab, since 2007.

The footballâ€™s governing body was expected to overturn the ban when it announced last year that the headgear symbolizes culture and not religion.

In 2011, the Iranian women’s football team, which had topped their group in the first round of 2012 London Olympics qualifiers, were punished with an automatic 3-0 defeat and prevented from playing in the second round of the qualifying matches for refusing to take off their headscarves.