by Ally Agoglia
As Ibtihaj Muhammad, the first Muslim American woman to wear a hijab at the Olympics, highlighted during her talk at Northeastern, finding sports that allow for modest dress can be tumultuous challenge for Muslim girls. For Ibtihaj, she eventually found fencing to be the rigorous sport that allowed her to compete while still being conscious of her own religious beliefs. For girls all across the United States who seek to engage in sports but lack the gear necessary, Asiyah Sport has emerged to fill the empty marketplace for athletic hijabs. In order to create a sports hijab that would be most effective, the company utilized young female athletes to test, and give input on design improvements. These individuals are at the heart of the mission of the company, and were integrated into the very fabric of the product’s creation.
While working at a community center in Minneapolis, Fatimah Hussein realized the pervasiveness of this problem after setting up a girls-only gym time at the center. With the help of her business partner, Hussein decided to establish Asiyah Sport. The startup began with an indiegogo fundraiser that received $39,105 and launched in March of this year. Asiyah Sport recognizes the barriers women already face in sports, and works to prevent improper clothing from continuing to be a limiting factor for Muslim women. The organization seeks to target the Muslim girls that on average play sports 50% less than their peers.
This for-profit business maintains its commitment to manufacturing the products in the U.S. The hijabs are designed to be lightweight, sweat-wicking, and comfortable, while remaining secure on a girl’s face. The company offers three types of hijabs based on differing levels of modesty. The head coverings, ranging from $35- $40, represent a great option for those who can afford the product, but not all girls may have the means to pay for this additional sports equipment. To mitigate this problem, Asiyah Sport has designed a donation program for customers to pay for a hijab to be donated to a young athlete who could benefit from the access to sports these products provide. Not only do the hijabs enable girls to participate in sports where they wouldn’t have otherwise, they also provide further comfort and confidence for athletes that previously wore hijabs during sports that would constantly fall down. Since its inception, schools across the U.S. have been vying to bring the products to their students. The Asiyah sport hijabs will continue to break down barriers to athletics to allow girls to learn and thrive through sports.
