The Guardian interviews Muslim athletes about Nike’s new hijabi line of athletic wear (see Nike To Launch ‘Pro Hijab’ Line). Here’s what they had to say:
Alia Komsany, a professional rower from Oxford, England, says the new line will “definitely” make a difference. “In rowing, your body’s moving back and forth, strenuously and at a fast rate – so my hijab slips back. It means I can’t focus. I’ve had a number of mishaps, so this is really important to me. This will help me to perform my best.”
“There’s a huge market for it,” says Shireen Ahmed, a minor league football player from Toronto, Canada. “Nike collaborated on its design with the weightlifter Amna Al-Haddad, which is incredibly important. It will fly off the shelves, not because it’s better, but because we’re a consumer society and Muslim women fall into those categories too.”
Ms. Ahmed went on to make this point: “I’m always happy to see positive representation of Muslim women in sport, but Nike wasn’t the first to do this. It is the most influential brand in the world to do it, but it’s not Nike that is elevating Muslim women in sport – it’s the athletes themselves who are doing that.”
