Rokko Posted September 16, 2004 Maansha Allah, indeed she's such strong sis and may allah reward her for her actions. Associated Press TAMPA, Fla. -- A University of South Florida women's basketball player who wanted to wear Islamic clothing on the court quit the team on Wednesday. Last week, USF had asked the NCAA for an exemption to its uniform policy to allow Muslim convert Andrea Armstrong, 22, to wear long pants, a top with long sleeves and a scarf during games. In a letter Wednesday to coach Jose Fernandez, Armstrong said she was leaving the team because she didn't want the uniform issue "to cause further distraction." Armstrong first said last week that she had left the team and lost her athletic scholarship after Fernandez told her she could not wear religiously mandated clothing during practices or games. In a meeting Friday with Armstrong, university officials and a representative of Council on American-Islamic Relations, officials agreed that the team would accommodate her Islamic attire and reinstate her scholarship. The university also agreed to work with the NCAA on the scarf issue. But Fernandez said Armstrong requested a meeting with him Wednesday and left the team. "I offered her an opportunity to think further on her decision, and she assured me the decision is final," Fernandez said. Armstrong, a senior forward from Lakeside, Ore., played one season with the Bulls after transferring from Kansas State University. CAIR spokesman Ahmed Bedier said Armstrong had not been prepared for the onslaught of attention, including hate messages, that she received. "She wanted to put her team first, after her faith, and she didn't want to be the center of the controversy," he said. Religion and sports have intersected elsewhere. At Towson University in Maryland, star player Tamir Goodman, an Orthodox Jew, wore a yarmulke on the court and did not play on the Jewish Sabbath. At the Olympics in Greece, several female athletes wore head scarves. Florida University Accomodates Basketball Player's Hijab Agreement comes following meeting with CAIR-FL The Florida office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-FL) announced today that a female Muslim athlete at the University of South Florida (USF) in Tampa will be allowed to wear hijab on the basketball court. SEE: http://www.usf.edu The 22-year-old Muslim convert left the USF basketball team and lost her athletic scholarship last week after allegedly being told by her head coach that she could not wear the religiously-mandated scarf during practices or games. In a meeting today between the basketball player, university officials and a representative of CAIR-FL, it was agreed that the team would accommodate her Islamic attire and reinstate her scholarship. The university also agreed to work with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) on any issues related to existing headwear policies. "We thank the University of South Florida for its swift and decisive action in resolving this issue," said CAIR-FL Communications Director Ahmed Bedier, who took part in today's meeting. "An athlete should not be asked to choose between engaging in healthy sporting activities and her deeply-held religious beliefs." Ahmed noted that the Prophet Muhammad himself recommended that children be taught activities such as swimming, horseback riding and archery. ACTION REQUESTED: Contact the university to thank them for accommodating the Muslim athlete's Islamic beliefs religious practices. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Reality Check Posted September 16, 2004 Way to go CAIR and Florida! Now they just have to work on the voting poll issue....... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
