Egypt’s Olympic volleyball team showcased their resilience by competing in full attire during the Paris games, boldly criticizing the country’s hijab prohibition for French athletes.
After Egypt’s 2-0 defeat against Spain, the duo was photographed embracing in their long-sleeve tops, leggings, and headscarves, while their Spanish counterparts celebrated in tight red bikinis and matching visors.
This courageous act comes in the wake of France’s restriction on team members wearing hijabs, as stated by the country’s sports minister, Amelie Oudea-Castera, who claimed it was implemented to uphold the principles of secularism.
Nonetheless, Abdelhady and Elghobashy took to the court with their religious head coverings and later denounced the hijab ban.
Egypt’s Olympic volleyball duo competed fully-clothed in a hijab against their bikini clad Spanish opponents
Egyptian athletes Marwa Abdelhady and Doaa Elghobashy defiantly sported an all-black outfit along with their religious headscarf – a garment that has been banned for French athletes
Liliana Fernandez Steiner and Paula Soria Gutierrez of Spain sported red bikinis during the game
The images have gone viral on social media due to the stark contrast in outfits
‘I want to play in my hijab, she wants to play in a bikini – everything is okay, if you want to be naked or wear a hijab. Just respect all different cultures and religions,’ Elghobashy stated in an interview with Expressen.
‘I don’t tell you to wear a hijab and you don’t tell me to wear a bikini. No one can dictate how I dress.’
‘It’s a free country, everyone should have the right to choose their attire.’
Amnesty International, alongside ten other organizations, contacted the International Olympic Committee in June, urging the repeal of the ban, warning that it leads to discrimination against Muslim athletes.
‘Women and girls in France who wear the hijab have faced barriers to participating in various sports, including football, basketball, judo, boxing, volleyball, and badminton, even at youth and amateur levels,’ the letter stated.
‘The restrictions on the hijab in sports have led to significant discrimination, invisibility, exclusion, and humiliation for many Muslim athletes, resulting in trauma and social isolation—some considering leaving the country for opportunities elsewhere.
The organization criticized the host nation for the Olympics after the ban was not lifted.
‘Restricting French athletes from competing in hijabs during the Olympic and Paralympic Games undermines the claims that Paris 2024 will be the first gender-neutral Olympics and highlights the underlying racial and gender discrimination affecting access to sports in France,’ remarked Anna Błus, Amnesty International’s researcher on women’s rights in Europe.
Abdelhady and Elghobashy embraced after losing to Spain
Steiner and Gutierrez showed off their toned abs after winning the volleyball game against Egypt
‘I don’t tell you to wear a hijab and you don’t tell me to wear a bikini. No one can tell me how to dress,’ Elghobashy said
A ban against wearing the hijab in football was introduced in 2006, in basketball, it began in 2022, and in volleyball, in 2023
‘The hijab is a part of me,’ said Elghobashy
Elghobashy is hopeful that with hijabs allowed in the athletes’ village, it will create ‘freedom for everyone’ and draw attention away from attire to performance.
‘I enjoy playing in a hijab, not in a bikini,’ she expressed, labeling the International Federation of Volleyball’s (FIVB) rule change as a sign of ‘respect.’
‘For someone else, the preference might be different – that’s perfectly fine. It’s all about freedom; I felt comfortable and confident.’
‘The hijab is integral to my identity. Others might feel differently.’
This follows an incident where French Olympic sprinter Sounkamba Sylla revealed on social media that she would miss the opening ceremony due to her hijab.
‘”You can be selected for the Olympics held in your own country, but not participate in the opening ceremony because you wear a headscarf,”‘ Sylla shared on her private Instagram, as reported by The Associated Press.
Historically, female volleyball players were mandated to wear bikinis until the 2012 Olympics, where the bottom piece could not exceed 7cm from the top to the bottom at the hip, or a one-piece swimming costume.
However, the FIVB stepped in to broaden inclusivity within the sport and adapt regulations to fit a more diverse group of athletes.
Islamic headscarf bans exist in French sports at all levels, extending beyond the Olympic framework, as highlighted by Amnesty International.
While no national laws explicitly prohibit hijabs in sports, specific sports federations have set regulations banning this religious garment.
Football, basketball, and volleyball are among sports enforcing such bans.
The prohibition against wearing hijabs in football was established in 2006, in basketball starting in 2022, and in volleyball in 2023.
‘For two decades, we have observed an ongoing introduction of measures that restrict the rights of Muslim women,’ Blus noted regarding France.
‘There’s undeniably been a rise in these restrictive measures across various aspects of life over the last 20 years,’ she concluded.
