MINNESOTA — A
15-year-old Minnesota teen boxer is fighting for her change to compete in a
boxing match after USA Boxing disqualified her from participating in the
competition because of her Islamic attire.

The Council
on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) called on USA Boxing, which oversees and
governs amateur boxing in the country, to allow Amaiya Zafar to compete while
wearing her headscarf. She also wants to fight with her arms and legs covered.

 CAIR says the
Oakdale 15-year-old hopes to take part in Golden Gloves, but the attire
violates the rules of the International Boxing Association (AIBA) and thus
precludes her from participating.

 “Outdated and
discriminatory rules should not supersede constitutional protections
guaranteeing religious freedom,” said Ibrahim Hooper, national communications
director of the Washington, D.C. group, in a letter to several organizations
that oversee boxing – including the United States Olympic Committee.

 Hooper says
all interested parties should “work with Amaiya Zafar and her family” to
reach a “mutually-agreeable solution” so the teen can compete in Duluth.

Michael
Martino, executive director of USA Boxing, has responded to CAIR’s request,
stating that there might be safety issues involved in the attire exemption.

“If you’re
covering up arms, if you’re covering up legs, could there be preexisting
injury? And then if someone got hurt during the event, the referee wouldn’t be
able to see it,” Martino told MPR.

At 106 lbs
and a little over 5 feet tall, Zafar’s sport interest has already captivated
the Muslim community, many of whom feel that she is shredding stereotypes
imposed on Muslim women.