Uniform exemption given to Muslim convert

9/12/2004 5:00:00 PM GMT

The University of South Florida (USF) urged the NCAA to grant an exemption to its uniform policy by letting a Muslim woman, who is a basketball player wear Islamic clothing on the basketball court.

Andrea Armstrong, a 22-year-old Muslim convert, said she left the USF basketball team and lost her athletic scholarship last week after her trainer told her that she could not wear religiously mandated clothing during practices or games. She wanted to wear long pants, long sleeves top and a headscarf.

The officials of the university of South Florida said that Andrea left the team voluntarily and that no one forced her to do so.

In a meeting held last Friday between Armstrong, university officials and a representative of Council on American-Islamic Relations, officials agreed that the team would accommodate her Islamic attire and reinstate her scholarship.

Ahmed Bedier, who took part in the meeting as Florida spokesman for CAIR. Said: "An athlete should not be asked to choose between engaging in healthy sporting activities and her deeply held religious beliefs."

Michelle Carlyon, the university spokeswoman said: "She is a valuable member of the team."

In the NCAA's basketball rulebook there are five pages of rules about uniforms, but none of them say anything related to religious issues.

Her teammates said that they have no problem at all with Armstrong's conversion.

"We're not going to judge her by that," said sophomore Rachel Sheats.

Armstrong said she did not think that the way she is dressed would distract other players or affect her abilities on the court.

Religion and sports intersected harmonically elsewhere. For example at the Olympics in Greece, several female Muslim athletes were wearing headscarves.