Expanding the sports community, accepting the Hijab

The fight to accept the hijab, and further Muslim women, has been a long one. There is incredible pushback to the capabilities of these women simply because they wear the religious covering, which is seen in many western cultures as a sign of submission. With the Islamiphobic rhetoric spreading throughout western culture today, Nike's creation of an athletic hijab, while apolitical, made a huge step in not only welcoming hijabs into the athletic world, but also the powerful women who wear them. I examined an article by the New York Times and by Vox to see the different perspectives on the Athletic Hijab.

Courtsey of Nike
The New York Times article by Valeriya Safronova gave a lot of context to the inpiration and creation of the Nike Hijab. The article was shorter, but featured many photos from the Nike campaign. While the piece gave context to the sports company and the product, the body of the article was dedicated to the creation aspect. It talked about the athletic women spearheading the designs, as well as the process of testing to make a practical hijab.

Courtsey of Nike
The Vox article by Lindsay Maizland was much more interested in the product itself. The article comments on the release and pricing of the product, as well as the political blowback it has been recieving since it's debut. There was only one photo from the Nike campaign, and the article seemed longer than that of the New York Times. The article also gave kudos to smaller companies who have created the athletic hijab decades ago, and have been selling them for just as long. The article also included that there was little political intent with the creation of this product. The objective was to accept and expand the athletic community in its many forms.

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