SXSW apologizes after ordering U.S. Olympic fencer to remove hijab

[Recursion]

Source: USA Today

Ibtihaj Muhammad, who is poised to be the first U.S. Olympian to wear a hijab, said she was told to remove her headscarf for a security photo at the South by Southwest festival on Saturday and then was given a credential with an incorrect name.

Muhammad, who wears the hijab for religious purposes and has become a prominent U.S. athlete with sponsors such as Visa and American Airlines, tweeted the incident in disdain as she was forced to remove it.

The incident does not look good for SXSW, which prides itself on being an annual cultural showpiece in Austin, Texas. SXSW said in a public statement: "It is not our policy that a hijab or any religious head covering be removed in order to pick up a SXSW badge. This was one volunteer who made an insensitive request and that person has been removed for the duration of the event. We are embarrassed by this and have apologized to Ibtihaj in person, and sincerely regret this incident.”

Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/2016/03/12/sxsw-apologizes-team-usa-olympic-fencer-ibtihaj-muhammad-hijab/81709018/

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She's one of the top sabreuses in the world, and a chance for us to medal in women's saber (we were shut out in London, after running the podium in Beijing).

[LiberalElite]

1. I read an article about her a few days ago -

one of the reasons she took up fencing was she could do it and stay dressed modestly including the hijab.

[Recursion]

4. Here's her epic 2015 bout with Zagunis in Seoul

Zagunis won the gold in 2004 and 2008. Mohammed is on the right side of the screen. Holy crap Mohammed has a wicked stopcut.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

2. The hijab is not religious, it is cultural. But she has a right to her culture.

So long as her face is not obscured, it should be fine.

[oberliner]

12. That is BS

It is religious, not cultural.

[left-of-center2012]

15. "The hijab is not religious"

"The hijab is both a religious and cultural element of Islam." https://www.quora.com/Is-the-hijab-cultural-or-religious

[Bernardo de La Paz]

23. At link, there are obsevant muslims who don't wear hijab and non-observant who do. . nt

Thanks for the link.

The wearing of a hijab overlaps considerably with the muslim faith, but it is not synonymous with the faith.

Thus it is more cultural than faithful.

But as I said before, she has a right to her culture and as long as her face is not obscured it is fine for ID photos. Especially ID photos that are displayed for all to see.

Men (presumably), and probably mostly white men especially, do not have many circumstances where they have a right to dictate what women wear.

[IronLionZion]

24. You can say that about any religious custom

people choose which customs to follow and we should respect that choice. And there are clothing requirements in the conservative traditions of Mormons, Mennonites, Orthodox Jews, Sikhs, etc.

Culture and faith are closely intertwined and often developed together through the history of humanity. Many cultural customs originated with somebody's spiritual beliefs and vice versa.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

25. Yeah, I uphold the right of Mormons to wear their secret underwear & Hassidics their forelocks

People are entitled to their cultural traditions so long as they don't interfere with other people or societal functioning.

You can wear a turban or a face tattooed Motorhead if you want to, for all I care.

But claiming extra rights on the basis of religion is just not on.

[SusanCalvin]

3. Austin is not all that.

Oh how I wish it was, for my own sake. The best city in Texas is Houston, not that that's saying much...

(Sorry - stuck here and feeling sorry for myself. But the above is still true.)

[Boomer]

5. Houston?

Over Austin?

I'm left speechless....

[SusanCalvin]

6. Sorry, it's true.

Not that I'm really crazy about either.

Maybe Austin used to be better, but it's not now.

[Recursion]

8. Houston's got an amazing LGBT community and arts community

It gets a bad rep but it's a great town in a lot of ways.

[SusanCalvin]

26. Yep. Best in Texas.

There may be smaller towns that are better, but between Austin, San Antonio, Dallas, Fort Worth, and Houston, Houston wins hands down.

I still wish I could get out of Texas.

[snooper2]

31. Houston sucks LOL...If you don't look close you may drive right past it

It gets mistaken for a low flying cloud at times thanks smog! LOL

[SusanCalvin]

33. You must not have been here in a while.

The smog is mostly fixed, to cite one indicator.

[snooper2]

34. drove past it last summer heading to Galveston, tried to haul ass but 45 SUCKS in downtown Houston

Fix your highways

[SusanCalvin]

35. OK. nt

[Paladin]

36. Houston's freeways and traffic are in better shape than Austin's.

As a life-long Texan, I never thought I'd say that. But it's true. While so desperately (and hopelessly) trying to live up to that highly erroneous The Only Cool Place In Texas moniker, Austin let its roads and infrastructure go right into the toilet. Sad but true.

[Android3.14]

7. Houston? You have to be kidding?

I hated Houston. Lived down in that area for a couple of years and just wanted to die. Austin is so much cooler with the people, has better weather, and the music scene is the best.

[rockfordfile]

10. The owner of the Houston Texans is far right.

The guy has given a lot of money to right wingers.

[SusanCalvin]

28. You got right-wing jerks almost everywhere. nt

[SusanCalvin]

27. Not that I noticed.

Maybe you are talking about a number of years ago.

I'm not saying Houston is good. In many ways I loathe it. I'm just saying it's the best available in Texas, and that Austin is way over-hyped. IMHO.

[Lunabell]

9. I hate religion

But they should fucking respect her.

[Hissyspit]

11. Do these idiots not listen to the news?

[PoliticAverse]

13. "sabreuses" - that's a cromulent word? n/t

[Recursion]

16. Yes! I'm male, and I fence saber. I'm a sabreur

She's female, and fences saber. She's a sabreuse.

She and Zagunis are two women who fence saber; they are sabreuses.

(To be more clear: the sport of fencing includes three weapons: foil, epee, and sabre. Most fencers learn foil first; some specialize to epee and sabre later.)

[left-of-center2012]

14. For the uninformed (me)

What's "SXSW"?

[Recursion]

17. "South By Southwest". Used to be a music festival; now a bunch of Ted Talks

Texans may swoop in and defend it, but I stand by that characterization.

[PoliticAverse]

18. Some people seem to like it...

http://www.sxsw.com/news/2016/sxsw-announces-president-barack-obama-and-first-lady-michelle-obama

[left-of-center2012]

19. Thanks, but ....

Now explain "Ted Talks".
(Maybe I need to get out more)

[snooper2]

32. "Ted Talks" are people with blogs who think their opinion is SO important...the get to talk

for a bit LIVE once or twice a year

They tend to pull a lot of SJW off the intertubes for a moment in time so their 3000 fans can see they are actually a living human being.

[Action_Patrol]

20. It's STILL a music festival. It's just been expanded.

First week is Tech (your TED talks) and Film Festival. Second week is music and chaos.

[marble falls]

22. With over one hundred venues, TED talks aren't even a close second to the music.

[marble falls]

21. Very, very shocked this happened in Austin. Now in my town, Marble Falls ......

and thats why I'm moving to Oregon.

[SusanCalvin]

29. Hey, please let me know how that works out.

I'd like to do the same myself, if I could afford it and find a job.

[marble falls]

30. I'm going to Springfield, and I'm retired but still doing hand-dying of fabric. My impression is ...

there is plenty of work, but that rent is high. We have our house here in Texas to sell so we feel pretty confident.