The first few months of 2017 have been less than ideal for people of colour, women and immigrants. Trump’s administration has been on a roll, altering the lives of many by putting restrictions on who they can be and how they can live their lives. His actions have had a cascading effect close to home as well. Islamophobia has been rising in Canada with Anti-Muslim protests in downtown Toronto, and bomb threats towards Muslim students at Concordia University.
Being a Muslim in today’s world is frightening. A lot of people take a xenophobic view and feel that terrorism and ISIS are interchangeable with Islam. However, that is far from reality. Muslims have been subject to the same deadly attacks by terrorist groups with far more devastating results, for example Syria, where humans are dying every single day while the rest of the world watches. In this time of despair, Nike has come out with game-changing initiatives – a Pro Hijab for Muslim athletes and a Plus-Size collection.
This displays inclusivity and acceptance. It might seem like just another product for some people, but the Pro Hijab symbolizes equity, as this will provide Muslim women with the same chance to compete at their sport without being uncomfortable or having a headscarf that just doesn’t work with the situations they have to be in. The best part of Nike’s campaign for the Pro Hijab is that they have used real Muslim athletes who have experienced problems with their headscarf. The campaign stars Zahra Lahri, a figure skater, and Manal Rostom, Nike+ Run Club Coach.
The Pro Hijab comes following Nike’s successful, thought-provoking ad, ‘What Will They Say about You’ which was released in the Middle East. Nike has focused on the problems that real Muslim athletes face and has made it entirely out of breathable fabric that is opaque to satisfy what these athletes are looking for. They have focused on giving it an ‘elongated back to avoid it becoming untucked during performance.’ This is important as normal headscarfs use a material which can easily shift, thus causing problems for the athletes.
The company found its inspiration in runner Sarah Attar and Olympian Amna Al Haddad. They spoke to Nike about the issues they encountered with the current athletic hijabs. They faced problems such as ‘having to wash it daily [and] lack of breathability which made it hard for them to focus’. Nike then decided to make a hijab that was ‘almost like second skin’.
A performance Hijab of high quality from Nike allows these athletes to compete on the same level as other athletes by being able to give their sport their undivided attention and being comfortable at it. It starts a conversation about the place of female Muslim athletes at the global level as even today, not all sports allow women in hijabs to compete. Clearly, a hijab should not stand in the way of an athlete to show their skills.
Muslim athletes have been overjoyed with the news, as no other major sport company has made such a move. Nike has changed the narrative and it’s high time someone did so. You will have to wait ’till spring 2018 to get your hands on a Pro Hijab, but it will definitely be worth it!
Images and Information obtained from:
http://en.vogue.me/culture/nike-pro-hijab/
http://hellogiggles.com/nike-more-inclusive-sport-hijab-muslim-women/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2017/03/07/nikes-new-p…