WASHINGTON — The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) this week applauded a decision by the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) to modify its policy on competitor apparel to allow modest Islamic attire.

Kilsoom Abdullah

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.

Last week, CAIR offered the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) draft language for a policy change on Islamic attire for consideration by the IWF during its ongoing meeting in Malaysia.

The USOC agreed to ask the IWF’s technical committee to review a policy preventing the Muslim athlete, 35-year-old Kulsoom Abdullah (www.liftingcovered.com/), from competing in the USA Weightlifting Senior Nationals to be held this July in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

“Weightlifting is an Olympic Sport open for all athletes to participate in without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, or national origin in accordance with the principles of the Olympic Charter and values. This rule modification has been considered in the spirit of fairness, equality and inclusion.”

“We welcome this important decision in support of greater inclusion in athletic competition and urge the representatives of other international bodies to take similar steps,” said CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper. “We thank the United States Olympic Committee for helping to empower Muslim women athletes and for taking a stand in support of the American tradition of religious diversity.”

Hooper noted that a 15-year-old Canadian Muslim soccer referee was recently told she could not perform her job while wearing hijab. Earlier this month, an Iranian women’s soccer team was barred from an Olympic qualifying match in Jordan because of the athletes’ modest attire.