(COLUMBUS, OHIO 2/28/2022) — The Ohio Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Ohio) today welcomed the signing of Senate Bill 181 into law by Gov. Mike DeWine. The new law will protect students’ right to wear hijab in school sports and extracurricular activities.
“This is a key step in ensuring Muslim students can participate in school sports and extracurricular activities without compromising their religious beliefs,” said CAIR-Ohio Acting Executive Director Amina Barhumi. “This law is critical to protecting Ohio students and their religious expression of their faith. It comes at a particularly crucial time as we witness a rise in anti-Muslim discrimination and sentiment in our local and in our global communities, where we find that those who wear hijab are too often the target.”
The law will bar schools and interscholastic athletic programs from prohibiting or creating obstructions to wearing religious apparel. This includes headwear, clothing, jewelry, or other coverings. The law specifically seeks to eliminate challenges faced by Muslim students who wear hijab, as well as other modest coverings when participating in school sports.
Ohio student-athlete Noor Abukaram, of Sylvania, championed the bill after her own experience of being disqualified from her high school track meet because of her hijab.
Watch this video to learn more about the activist-athlete’s story:
In May 2021, CAIR-Ohio issued an Action Alert urging Ohioans to call on their state representatives and senators to support this bill, which resulted in 688 letters sent to legislators. CAIR-Ohio also provided proponent testimony at a Senate Primary and Secondary Education hearing. Later, the organization awarded Abukaram its Hero Award at its 2021 Columbus Annual Banquet.
“We commend and congratulate Noor for achieving this transformative change in our schools,” said CAIR-Ohio Outreach and Government Affairs Director Whitney Siddiqi. “As a student-athlete, she has led efforts to combat discrimination in sports, founded her nonprofit LetNoorRun, started college, and helped enact a new law. Her courage and strength to transform hardship into positive change for the entire community exemplify what it means to be a hero.”
CAIR’s Maryland office recently welcomed the introduction in the Maryland House of Delegates of HB515, a bill that would ensure religious attire is never an obstacle to students who wish to participate in school athletics.
Many international athletic organizations have modified their rules and policies to account for the various religious needs of participants. For example, the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF), the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) have all lifted their respective bans on religious headgear, including hijabs.
CAIR is American’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. CAIR-Ohio’s mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims. CAIR-Ohio has offices in Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati.
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CONTACT: CAIR-Ohio Acting Executive Director Amina Barhumi, abarhumi@cair.com, 614-763-6557; CAIR-Ohio, Cleveland Chapter Executive Director Julia Shearson, 216-830-2247, jshearson@cair.com
