According to a CBS News report, Deering High School in Portland Maine, has announced that it has made available sports hijabs to young Muslim girls playing sports for the school.
In order to make them feel more comfortable and confident, school officials recently decided to give female Muslim athletes, representing the school, the option to wear a sports hijab while participating in any sports activities.
“We’re more confident on the field,” junior lacrosse player Fadumo Adan said. “This one doesn’t fall off. No matter what I do, it won’t fall off.”
After the school’s athletic director revealed that there was indeed such a product that could help young Muslim girls play their choice of sports without having to compromise on their attire, the female tennis teams two co-captains raised over $800.
An Iraqi immigrant and a senior at the school, Israa Enan, reportedly stayed off the school’s tennis team because her family had issues with the uniform.
“I wished I was one of these girls who wear the hijabs and play with it, but it’s OK,” Israa Enan, a senior at Deering High, said. “I’m too late now.”
However, she noted that she is “happy for the other girls who have the opportunity now to wear the hijab and be more comfortable doing the things they like to do.”
Tabarek Kadhim is another young woman who immigrated to the US from Jordan. Currently a sophomore and a star tennis player, appreciated the gesture and added, “There are some people who actually care, respect and love others, and they are actually accepting of others, which makes me really happy.”