Why should wearing a hijab make her any different to any other 15 year old girl..........

Not many female football supporters. And she is very pretty. But isnt a hijab a rather larger garment than just a headscarf or have I got that wrong?

They are playing SWANSEA (my home town) - we are definitely living in a parallel universe - suspected as much when a black president elected in the US. Now Swansea is in the cup final!

JessM No, a hijab is just a scarf or scarves covering the head. Why should this (Moslem female football fan) be an issue?

There are loads of female football supporters!

I think it's inverted racism.

I think it was news because of the novelty value - along the lines of a vicar who plays in a rock band, or a surgeon who plays the banjo, and so on.

It's a nice little story - makes a change from the usual view of women in headscarves.

'Hijab' is actually the concept of modesty, as applied to both women and men in Islam.
'Hijab' is most commonly used though to refer to the headscarf plus modest dress (i.e. shoulders and knees covered) of many Muslim women.
JessM there are factions within Islam that interpret 'Hijab' as the complete covering of women, so it can be confusing.
The extreme cover-up is the Burkha, as seen in parts of Afghanistan. In the Middle East many women wear an Abaya (cloak/long coat) - either with or without a head covering. In other parts of the Islamic world the garments have alternative names. It's certainly not easy to work out what is what, and there are a huge variety of interpretations within Islam itself - mostly cultural rather than religious.

The hijab singled her out because it's a religious badge. Something tells me religious badges are not common on football match go-ers. So, obviously, it was noticed. The fact that it was noticed doesn't mark her out as different; it marks out what she's wearing as different. Which it is at a football match. It may become common for girls wearing hijabs to go to football matches, though I rather hope they'll just go to the matches and ditch the religious badge.

Thank you nannaanna I think i will stick to headscarf then.

The hijab isn't just a "religious badge".

And how can you possibly know how many, in a crowd of football fans, have a Cross or a Star of David round their necks? Or any other religious symbol on their person for that matter.

It's also strange how many of these highly tattooed young (or not so young) men (or women) have religious symbols among their tattoos. My daft GD has a - fortunately inconspicuous - cross on one wrist.

Religious badges that are inconspicuous are a different matter from ones that are. I merely meant that hers is conspicuous. That's why she was noticed. If it were common to see people wearing the hijab at football matches in Swansea, it wouldn't be newsworthy, would it? It's be more like picking out a chap or chappess wearing a read and white bobble hat at a Manchester football match. er... well... yeah... like, so what?

If it isn't a religious badge, why do only moslems wear it?

I think it's sad that it has become a religious badge, but there's no denying that it has.

Anyway, as I said. It's what she's wearing that's different, not what she's doing. Glad she enjoys watching football. Even gladder if she enjoys playing football, and is allowed to.

You see as many hijab s as bare heads in Bristol these days. So I wouldn't be surprised to see them at rovers or city.

I am a season ticket holder at Newcastle United and it is certainly not uncommon to see the occasional woman wearing a hijab - and I would say that women in general, whilst a minority, make up quite a large percentage of the crowd.

It has a purpose. To cover the hair. Which is, allegedly, provocative to men.

Still think it was inverted racism to single her out.

I wear something similar when walking the dog, only it's in the tartan. Keeps the ears and neck nice and warm.

The Queen wears a headscarf

She's my role model

You and JO 8-infinity.
Hey folks how long has jing been 8 for? A long time I think. I'm worried
Do you think she's got old and stuck in her ways?

Why are two short planks coming into my mind

jings

You want to make some one (a)cross?

I also think the wearing of the hijab and/or abaya a cultural expression too. Many Indians and Pakistanis are muslim and the women wear saris and long scarf or shawl [can't remember the name] instead. Many practicing muslim men and women wear western dress. A lot families don't ask their daughters to wear a hijab but the girls often do as an expression of their faith and almost as a fashion statement.
I also know that quite often the woman wearing the full burka has the most fashionable expensive western outfit underneath. I do feel sad when I see a woman with a full black burka on with only her eyes visible - her husband wearing what he wants. I live by the sea and we do see muslim families on the beach - which is nice. The men and children in swimwear as appropriate for the seaside, the women in full burkas - must be as hot as hell. It just seems so sad that this person can't enjoy splashing about in the water like her family.

Or a ramp?