The English Football Association (FA) has apologized to Muslim player Iqra Ismail after she was prohibited from participating in a Greater London Women’s Football League match for refusing to wear shorts because of her religious beliefs.
Ismail, a player for United Dragons, was ready to enter as a substitute in a match against Tower Hamlets which was played on Sunday, October 27 but was stopped by the referee.
The FA has confirmed that Ismail will be permitted to wear tracksuit bottoms in future matches to respect her religious practices.
The footballer expressed her disappointment on social media, saying, “The Greater London Women’s Football League have stopped me from playing because of my religious beliefs, because I refused to wear shorts with my playing kit.”
Ismail, who has participated in the league for nearly five years wearing tracksuit bottoms, noted that this issue has become more significant over time.
“Every year they have made it more and more difficult for women like me to play.
“This year they have drawn the line and banned me from playing until I compromise my beliefs,” She added.
The footballer recalled that the referee from the Middlesex FA, United Kingdom (UK) that officiated the match told her he had received clear instructions from the league prohibiting women from wearing tracksuit bottoms, even if they coordinated with the team kit.
In a response FA spokesperson, Joanna Manning-Cooper said, “We are aware of this matter and we are in contact with Middlesex FA to ensure that it is quickly resolved.
“We proactively wrote to all county FAs and match officials across the women’s grassroots game earlier this year to confirm that women and girls should be allowed to wear clothing that ensures their faith or religious beliefs are not compromised.
“We remain deeply committed to ensuring that English football is an inclusive and welcoming environment for everybody.”
Ismail, a leading advocate for diversity and inclusion in football was included in the Football Black List five years ago and recently gave a talk at the FA’s Your Game Your Way event held at Brentford FC.
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