UAE Figure Skater Zahra Lari Breaks Barriers, Challenges Hijab Rules in International Competition

Born and raised in Abu Dhabi, Zahra Lari faced the headscarf problem in 2012, during her first major competition at the European Cup in Canazei, Italy. While she had put on her hijab, the judges had to deduct a few points from her score, for violation of attire. "I was neither upset nor angry," she said, stressing: "I just knew I had to do something so that it would never happen to me or anyone else who wants to stay covered," she hammered, reports Memo.

Thus, several steps were taken. This alerted Nike, which was looking for an athlete as part of its campaign for its sports hijab. An initiative that fits well with Zahra Lari’s goal, who wanted to work so that women are free to wear the hijab to participate in all kinds of sports activities. A vision that is already showing its effects, as this year Zahra Lari is on the Forbes "30 Under 30" list, which honors some 600 people under 30 who are innovators and leaders in various fields.

There are still sports that do not meet the expectations of Muslim women and their dress code. This constitutes an institutional barrier. For example, FIBA prohibits players from wearing the hijab for health and safety reasons. As for FIFA, it was finally in 2014, after many discussions and negotiations, that it canceled the ban on wearing the hijab, after conducting "safety tests." Although this decision was celebrated as a multicultural advance and in the interest of sport, there is still work to be done in other areas.