Rio de Janeiro, 11 Dzulqa’dah 1437/14 August 2016 (MINA) – As the standard uniform of female beach volleyball players at the Summer Olympics currently underway in Brazil is the bikini, Egypt’s Doaa el-Ghobashy has raised eyebrows by becoming the first beach volleyball player to participate at the games wearing hijab (Muslim covering for women).
Speaking to Anadolu Agency, el-Ghobashy said that she wanted to correct widespread misperceptions in the West regarding Islam, saying Muslim women should be represented in all fields.
“I respect those who play [volleyball] in bikinis and my competitors respect my choice to play while wearing hijab,” said el-Ghobashy, whose Olympic uniform reveals only her hands and face.
She went on to assert that, in the Muslim world, women play as active a role as men, particularly in her country, noting that some 5,000 women play volleyball in Egypt.
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“I receive positive messages on social media from many countries, especially from women who say I have given them courage and that they are proud of me,” el-Ghobashy said.
“I’ve opened the door for many hijab-wearing women and they thank me for that,” she added.
When asked by her fellow volleyball players why she chooses to wear hijab, the 20-year-old tells them that she has been wearing it for 10 years.
It is her personal preference, she explains, and in accordance with Muslim norms.
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“Most of my fellow players understand this,” she said.
El-Ghobashy, who hopes to represent Egypt four years from now at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, says she wants to be judged by her volleyball performance — not by what she chooses to wear. (T/R07/R01)
Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)
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