Ruba Rosalina Bukhatwa, known to her teammates as Rose, may become the first Muslim women in Ireland to play competitive rugby in the hijab. Tallaght Women’s RFC made a request to the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) after Bukhatwa had recently joined the club. Within four weeks, the IRFU confirmed that she could play in the hijab under certain conditions: she must ensure that the hijab is secure and tucked into her jersey and wear a scrum cap. Martina Fitzpatrick, Women’s Development Officer at Tallaght Women’s RFC praised the IRFU’s speedy resolution. She hopes the decision will encourage more women in Ireland to pursue rugby. The 18-year-old law student at Griffith University was born in Dublin to Libyan parents. The town of Tallaght, in south Dublin, made headlines in 2014 with the “Hijabs and Hat-tricks” project after FIFA dropped its ban on hijabs. And Diverse City FC was soon born. Alongisde Sport Against Racism Ireland (SARI), the project helped Muslim women into football. The women’s team debuted at tournament that same year.
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Muslims in Dublin continue to face hostility and discrimination, according to a study. The Immigrant Council of Ireland found that anti-Muslim hostility manifested in the workplace, in schools and in sections of the media. Some young female Muslims reported being unable to wear the hijab in the classroom. A broader policy gap on school uniform means some face exclusion. Others do not. Teachers are failing to challenge anti-Muslim racism in some schools. One Muslim mother had to send her son to private school because the primary school would not accept a non-Catholic. In spite of equality legislation, a loophole allows schools to reject other faiths if it ‘undermines’ their ethos. This gateway to discrimination is nothing new in a country where the Catholic church runs more than 90 per cent of state schools. Non-Catholic teachers face similar discrimination. Two students had experienced anti-Muslim abuse in the classroom. The school, however, dismissed their complaints. Some students recalled the abuse they had received from teachers. In one example, a teacher had asked a student if the hijab had limited her hearing. The prejudice experienced by some Muslims in Dublin mirrors that in Britain. Hostility became exhausting in its day-to-day interactions. One Muslim [...]
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