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| Texas festival apologizes after Muslim Olympian told to remove hijab |
| 2016-03-14 |
| [Reuters] Organizers of the South by Southwest (SXSW) arts festival said on Sunday they apologized to U.S. Olympian Ibtihaj Muhammad after a volunteer said she must remove her Muslim headcovering to receive credentials to the event in Austin, Texas. The Olympic fencer was picking up an identification badge at the interactive, film and music event on Saturday when a volunteer told her she must take off her hijab before her photograph could be taken. "Even after I explained it was for religious reasons, he insisted I had to remove my hijab," she said on Twitter. SXSW organizers said on Sunday in an email to Reuters that they have since removed the volunteer for the duration of the event. "We are embarrassed by this and have apologized to Ibtihaj in person, and sincerely regret this incident," SXSW said in the statement. Muhammad, 30, will make history in Rio de Janeiro as the first Olympian to represent the United States wearing a hijab. Muhammad has become an outspoken critic of presidential candidate Donald Trump, who called for a ban on Muslims from entering the United States. "I feel like I owe it to people who look like me to speak out," Muhammad told reporters on Wednesday. "When I hear someone say something like, 'We're going to send Muslims back to their countries,' I say, 'Well, I'm American. Where am I going to go?" After the incident was resolved at the event, Muhammad said that she was issued the wrong identification. "I was given the wrong ID! From now on my name is Tamir & I work for Time Warner Inc" she tweeted. |
| Posted by:Besoeker |
| #9 Did they make Obama remove his hijab? |
| Posted by: regular joe 2016-03-14 15:17 |
| #8 I feel like I owe it to people who look like me to speak out,"" my covered Weber kettle BBQ thanks you |
| Posted by: Frank G 2016-03-14 15:04 |
| #7 I would think they have to identify the athelete to make sure they haven't slipped Errol Flynn under the Hajib to win on her behalf. Since a number of Muslim countries don't use the Hajib (and those that due tend to prevent women from doing thing such as athletics) I can't help but see this as a way to knock down barriers until eventually bad guys can use Hajibs to move around anywhere in anonymity. |
| Posted by: rjschwarz 2016-03-14 14:54 |
| #6 Good think they cleared that up before Obama's visit. You know how he hates to be embarrassed. |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2016-03-14 14:53 |
| #5 Probably won't be an issue with the swim team..... |
| Posted by: Ebbeaque Tojo8408 2016-03-14 14:24 |
| #4 At this point, it's more like Mexico City 1968. Still, it's silly to sweat the small stuff (that's generally what they are looking for -- Izlammophobia and all that rot). Let her wear the damn thing. |
| Posted by: JHH 2016-03-14 13:42 |
| #3 Why does this story make me think of Munich, 1972? |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2016-03-14 10:36 |
| #2 A fencer in a hijab- I'd pay to see that. |
| Posted by: Grunter 2016-03-14 09:36 |
| #1 Bet Tamir is pissed. |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2016-03-14 08:53 |