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Quebec Soccer Association Upholds Turban Ban On Playing Field


DonLever

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They're just following FIFA guidelines. Your head is one of the most used part of your body in soccer, and if FIFA determines it should be uncovered, and those are the rules. Sometimes, a goaltender is permitted to wear a rugby-style padded helmet, but that's because goalies don't head the ball.

Same with jewelry. you want to wear your little christian cross? guess what, you can't. why? cause FIFA says jewelry can injure people. want to wear a jewish yarmulke? Nope, and that's because head gear isn't allowed. it skews the way the ball bounces of your head, it's an extra piece of equipment, it's probably a different color than your jersey, and it's a pain in the butt if it falls off (which in any sport is bound to happen).

So what do we do if the turban falls off? does everyone wait while it's put back on? Should other players be careful not to knock it off of you? Will they unconsciously lower their level of physical play against you out of fear of knocking it off/being insensitive? How much turban is allowed to begin with? why does a christian kid get a yellow card for taking his jersey off after a goal revealing a christian T shirt? how can christians/jews/muslims express their religious nature while still being within the rules? isn't it a double standard? can an non Sikh wear a piece of cloth on their head as protective gear/a way to make the ball bounce differently/a fashion statement? what colors can the turban be? can it be the color of the opposing team? can an atheist kid make a statement about his stance on religion by adding an extra piece of equipment?

I think the sensible thing would be to allow the turban, but you have to admit it opens a lot of questions. FIFA is trying not to open a can of worms by simply not allowing any religious items on to the field. Once you allow Sikhs to express their religion, you kind of have to let everyone do it, and that's a good old can of worms.

Since the revolution, the french have always had a strong stance on separating the church from other institutions. That's why you see things like a hijab ban in public institutions in France. You want to be ostensibly religious? fine. do it on your own property. i don't necessarily agree that's the way to go, but it's not completely devoid of merit either. That spirit may have been exported to Quebec. The president of FIFA, and many important characters in the organization, are French, and i don't see any big changes coming soon.

Bottom line, it's a rec league, not a professional one, so they should just sit down and make some new sensible rules about what can and can't be worn. However i don't think it's some gigantic scandal either if they just want to follow FIFA rules.

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Canadian soccer although not as intense as European soccer still has a strict set of guidelines. You can be kicked off the field for not wearing matching socks, shorts, and uniform at any level. It's not always enforced but the game is usually taken quite serious by those who play it.

You can't wear headgear in soccer. (Exception: goalies can usually wear a cap to block the sun for high shots). They should be banned.

Play by the rules everyone else plays by or don't play then.

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They're just following FIFA guidelines. Your head is one of the most used part of your body in soccer, and if FIFA determines it should be uncovered, and those are the rules. Sometimes, a goaltender is permitted to wear a rugby-style padded helmet, but that's because goalies don't head the ball.

Same with jewelry. you want to wear your little christian cross? guess what, you can't. why? cause FIFA says jewelry can injure people. want to wear a jewish yarmulke? Nope, and that's because head gear isn't allowed. it skews the way the ball bounces of your head, it's an extra piece of equipment, it's probably a different color than your jersey, and it's a pain in the butt if it falls off (which in any sport is bound to happen).

So what do we do if the turban falls off? does everyone wait while it's put back on? Should other players be careful not to knock it off of you? Will they unconsciously lower their level of physical play against you out of fear of knocking it off/being insensitive? How much turban is allowed to begin with? why does a christian kid get a yellow card for taking his jersey off after a goal revealing a christian T shirt? how can christians/jews/muslims express their religious nature while still being within the rules? isn't it a double standard? can an non Sikh wear a piece of cloth on their head as protective gear/a way to make the ball bounce differently/a fashion statement? what colors can the turban be? can it be the color of the opposing team? can an atheist kid make a statement about his stance on religion by adding an extra piece of equipment?

I think the sensible thing would be to allow the turban, but you have to admit it opens a lot of questions. FIFA is trying not to open a can of worms by simply not allowing any religious items on to the field. Once you allow Sikhs to express their religion, you kind of have to let everyone do it, and that's a good old can of worms.

Since the revolution, the french have always had a strong stance on separating the church from other institutions. That's why you see things like a hijab ban in public institutions in France. You want to be ostensibly religious? fine. do it on your own property. i don't necessarily agree that's the way to go, but it's not completely devoid of merit either. That spirit may have been exported to Quebec. The president of FIFA, and many important characters in the organization, are French, and i don't see any big changes coming soon.

Bottom line, it's a rec league, not a professional one, so they should just sit down and make some new sensible rules about what can and can't be worn. However i don't think it's some gigantic scandal either if they just want to follow FIFA rules.

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It's not a religious issue though.

The reason why you can't wear a necklace with a cross on it isn't because there's a cross, it's because it's a necklace. It could get caught on a player's arm and cause damage to the wearer's throat/neck.

Earrings are the same. When I played, you could wear them but they had to be taped up or taken out. It's all for safety reasons.

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While I personally dont have an issue with it, I think it isn't really that big of an issue. The indiginous population of Quebec is either athiest or Catholic, the people who have an issue with this rule obviously chose to move there. If they dont like it, they can go somewhere where the rules are different. Sikh's are an EXTREME minority in Quebec. Changing the rules of a sport in contradiction with generalized international rules wouldn't make much sense.

They sided with how the rules sit now, and also said if FIFA changes the rule to say that they are allowed, then Quebec would follow suit.

If its that big of a deal, they should move somewhere that allows what they're trying to accomplish. I don't move to India and expect there to be English signs or for their people to acknowledge my religious beliefs to the extent that it changes their customs.

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If its that big of a deal, they should move somewhere that allows what they're trying to accomplish. I don't move to India and expect there to be English signs or for their people to acknowledge my religious beliefs to the extent that it changes their customs.

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CSA SUSPENDS QUEBEC SOCCER FEDERATION OVER TURBAN BAN

MONTREAL -- The Canadian Soccer Association says it has suspended a provincial association over its refusal to let turban-wearing children play.

The organization says it had to intervene because the Quebec Soccer Federation showed no sign of overturning its decision to restrict turban-wearing Sikhs from the pitch.

"The Quebec Soccer Federation's inaction has forced us to take measures in order to ensure soccer remains accessible to the largest number of Canadians," it said in a statement Monday night.

The national organization said last week it expected the Quebec association to reverse the ban, which has drawn international news coverage and condemnation from several federal politicians.

Some of those who opposed the ban said they welcomed the national body's tough-love approach.

Immigration Minister Jason Kenney tweeted his approval: "Good to see CDN Soccer Association take action against the Quebec Soccer Federation over its ridiculous turban ban."

Quebec's federation says it's concerned about safety and points out that the rules of the world governing body, FIFA, don't specifically allow turbans.

Critics of the Quebec decision point out that FIFA's rules don't explicitly ban turbans, either.

The Canadian association says it will lift the suspension once it has proof the Quebec federation has revoked the ban.

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If its that big of a deal, they should move somewhere that allows what they're trying to accomplish. I don't move to India and expect there to be English signs or for their people to acknowledge my religious beliefs to the extent that it changes their customs.

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As for the people saying that having a turban is an advantage. I've played soccer with lots of kids wearing turbans and whenever we did heading drills we were taught to head with the forehead not top of the head. With proper heading technique the turban is never used and if the ball does bounce off the top of your head, most kids with turbans that I know say it's a disadvantage. So, it's not an issue of them having a competitive edge it's just that Quebec always likes doing their own thing.

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Quebec Premier Pauline Mariois is supporting the ban. Not surprising since the PQ is playing the independence card.

But it just shows a "socially progressive' party like the PQ can just be as racist and bigoted as any "right wing" party.

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