Islamic Women and Sport

[Bathsheba]

I was watching a program on tv about an Islamic school in Sydney. They showed Islamic female students playing ball games (netball I think) and rope skipping. It has made me wonder if/how other sports are able to be played. My DD is involved in athetics... so for example, would they be able to particpate in athletic events like high-jump? And is swimming allowed? Does the average Islamic girl/woman go swimming? I have seen many women/girls wearing their hajib whilst briskly walking but not many other sports. I hope I have worded this question respectfully.

[Pandora]

There are girls who play in the local soccer club in juniors. Not sure about other sports

[rurumummy]

Hi,

We play all sports but some like swimming would have to be done were there are no men around so we can wear our cossies.
There are certain requirements like the clothing must be modest but overall we can play all sports

[Phteven]

Bathsheba, allow me to introduce you to the burqini :P
I have one in bright blue but I got tired of sticking out like a blue thumb so I got a black one recently. I go swimming all the time and take my boys to swimming lessons.
I also play tennis, golf and football and ski and ride horses. Before my bike was stolen when I was 4 months pregnant with Yasin I rode about 20k 4 times a week.

I prefer to work out in a women's only gym but even before I wore the scarf I preferred women's only gyms.

[Bathsheba]

Thanks Chloe Just checked it out! I've never seen them before but they do look quite flexible. Thanks too Rurumummy. I guessed that swimming with other females would be ok... just wasn't sure.

[Heaven]

Wow! Never seen one of them before, I think they actually look quite good, the designers have done well!! They could make them a bit cheaper for you though!!

[Lulu]

There is a muslim lifesaver in Sydney isn't there?

[Phteven]

Lulu, she works on Cronulla beach.

SaraJane, they are a bit expensive but then again when I compare the cost of the bikini's I used to buy the ahiida swimsuits are much cheaper per square cm :P

There is a Californian woman who sells similar swim suits but hers are seperates with the headpiece optional so she sells to a lot of Christians and Jewish women who semi-cover their hair or don't cover it at all. She also sells to lots of women who are burns and accident victims.
She used to be a marine biologist and started by designing and making her own swim suit then there was so much demand that she branched into selling it commercially.

One of the things I like about ski-ing is that I never need to worry about finding long-sleeves etc. It's all long sleeved and everyone covers their head.

[Heaven]

SaraJane, they are a bit expensive but then again when I compare the cost of the bikini's I used to buy the ahiida swimsuits are much cheaper per square cm

ROFL, very true!!

[Bathsheba]

Yep, so true!

[Tanya]

Ooooh I love that swim suit Chloe!!

[Yael]

There is a Californian woman who sells similar swim suits but hers are seperates with the headpiece optional so she sells to a lot of Christians and Jewish women who semi-cover their hair or don't cover it at all. She also sells to lots of women who are burns and accident victims.

OOh, Chloe, can you find out who that is for me?? I saw your one, and was thinking of getting one and altering it a bit, but would probably stuff it up anyway, so if they made other ones that would be great.

I can;t go swimming if there are men around, but even with ladies only i normally wear a skirt & tshirt in the water, and always have my hair covered in front of everybody bar my husband, but its hard to swim like that, and i'm always worried if i'm at friends pools that neighbours might see etc.

[Phteven]

Yael here is the Californian one https://splas004.secure.omnis.com/store/index.php
And here is the link for modestclothes.com - you might find a swimsuit you like better there
Islamic Swimwear for Muslimahs
ETA Jewish Women's and Girls' Modest Swimwear

[Yael]

OMG, i think i'm going shopping bigtime!

[elixa]

I was watching a program on tv about an Islamic school in Sydney. They showed Islamic female students playing ball games (netball I think) and rope skipping. It has made me wonder if/how other sports are able to be played. My DD is involved in athetics... so for example, would they be able to particpate in athletic events like high-jump? And is swimming allowed? Does the average Islamic girl/woman go swimming? I have seen many women/girls wearing their hajib whilst briskly walking but not many other sports. I hope I have worded this question respectfully.

hi there, good question and hope i can answer it being a Muslim women myself

Well i used to work several years for Muslim school and i can assure you the girls are just as active in sports and their male counterparts in those schools.

Its just that it is done differently. For instance i was watching the year 8 girls playing soccor on the field, and all were wearing trackie pants and simple long sleeved adidas top with a short scarf. The boys were playing seperately. The girls were actually happier this way as they felt more at ease to play their hearts out without boys and some of the more shy timid girls were happy to play and open up as they were not afraid of how some boys in general can be more agressive etc. The coach way male, but it was the schools sports teacher as he is specialist in soccor, otherwise they normally have a female sports teacher for girls and male sports teacher for boys.

We have a full size swimming pool, and each day is allocated evenly between males and females to use, for example 11-12 noon year 7 girls will have their lesson and then 12-1.00 boys will have their lesson (so it does seperatly and girls can wear bathing suits such as shorts, tank top, bathers even etc).

As for me, i am in the process of taking my daughter for toddler swimming lessons which is only available at mixed public type pools, so i purchased a Quiksilver long sleeve rash vest and atheletic pants, and probably just will wear a swimming cap or no swimming cap if its all women (although i have reallllly long hair so prefer to have it all tucked in).

Many Muslim women love to take up karate & those type activities and they do these women only classes with female instructors. I once enrolled in a womens kickboxing class which as held at the local kickboxing school (run by non Muslims, and it was designed for any women who just prefer to be doing kickboxin seperatly from men). in that class i was the only Muslim women and the class was full, so it sorta showed that many women in general may prefer working out with women.

I used to attend for many years womens only gym by Zest and attended Curves for one year. I will fully encourage my daughter to take up a sport if she wishes to, even running, like Cathy Freeman style suit

Oh and in many Muslim countries i have holidayed in, they had seperate facilities for women to use, such as in Pakistan they had this female only gym and park.

I also attended school all my life where sports was mixed (as i am a convert to Islam) and unfortuently that never worked for me as i was always worried what boys were thinking of me (in highschool), and nervous about making fool of myself in front of them and even once we played hockey together in primary and was so scared for some of the boys agressive ways. Not everyone is gonna feel this way or go through what i went through, its just that it put me of sports until i was in my twenties and gained back confidence when i converted to Islam and suddently my peers were encouraging me to get active