Anywhere Western law and Islamic law conflict, it is always Western law that must give way -- and worse still, it is the non-Muslims who do the bidding of the Islamic supremacists.
Back on June 11th, I reported that US-born Kulsoom Abdullah, a 35-year-old weightlifter, wanted to wear the hijab instead of the regulation uniform that is required. She took up the sport and qualified to compete in her first national competition last year, but refused to wear the required garb.
So now the Muslim Brotherhood group CAIR is going to sue to change the dedicated rules of sport.
USA Weightlifting had said in a statement that "uniforms must not cover either the knees or the elbows because the judges must be able to see that the lifter has locked out his or her knees and elbows in order for the lift to be deemed completed." The IWF announced that it would discuss Abdullah's request at a June 26 meeting in Penang, Malaysia. United States Olympic Committee spokesman Mark Jones said the group is committed to being "inclusive" but that it was up to the IWF to decide if the modified uniform would provide a "competitive advantage."
One weightlifter lamented, "While I sympathize with the reason she wants an exception, this is an issue about the integrity of the sport. I have competed in both powerlifting and olympic lifting. Supportive equipment that increases the weight lifted is a BIG problem in powerlifting. Squat suits can add up to 200 pound to a competition squat. Olympic lifting has worked hard to keep supportive gear out of the sport. The reason for the tight rules on uniform is to keep out supportive gear and make it easy to catch people who try to cheat and use it. Something as simply as bunching up material beind the knees or an extra tight leotard under the uniform can increase the weight lifted and the consistency of a lifter. This is especially true at lower weights (under 120kilos)."
The IWF caved. Was the outcome in any doubt?
The reporter, dhimmi Christopher Seward, softsells it as Muslimas will now be able to compete "without worrying about attire that is too revealing." Weightlifting uniforms are revealing? Well, then, so are potato sacks. And Seward completely omits Hamas-tied CAIR's role, instead painting Abdullah as a one-woman Muslima on a mission.
CAIR took the credit in its daily alert:
The IWF policy change, which now allows a full-body unitard under the compulsory weightlifting attire, came following intervention by CAIR in the case of a Muslim weightlifter in Georgia who wishes to compete while covering her hair, arms and legs.
By Christopher Seward The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
An Atlanta Muslim woman can now enter weightlifting competitions without worrying about attire that is too revealing after international rules governing uniforms were changed Wednesday.
Bob Andres, bandres@ajc.com Kulsoom Abdullah sets the weights for her workout. She had been declared ineligible to compete in national competitions because of her Islamic dress.Bob Andres, bandres@ajc.com Kulsoom Abdullah "jerks" from the box as part of her workout.The International Weightlifting Federation approved new guidelines that give women, particularly Muslim women, the option of dressing in attire that doesn't leave their legs and arms exposed.
The IWF will now allow women weightlifters to wear a one-piece full-body tight-fitting "unitard" under the compulsory weightlifting costume. The unitard will allow technical officials to see and verify that lifts are being made, the organization said.
[..]
Weightlifter and Georgia Tech graduate Kulsoom Abdullah has waged a personal campaign to have the rules changed, pressing both the U.S. Olympic Committee and USA Weightlifting to push for reforms. It was the USOC that urged the IWF to consider changes during a meeting in Malaysia this week.
Hamas-tied CAIR waged holy war ........
The change paves the way for Abdullah, who had been barred from competing nationally because she insisted on covering most of her body, to enter more events. The 35-year-old woman, who holds a doctorate in electrical computer engineering from Tech, competes in women's senior weightlifting division.
“I’m really happy that it happened,” Abdullah said Wednesday. “I’m really thankful for the support that was out there in the public."
