Iran's female NINJAS!

Iran, always at the forefront of Muslim women sports, has another notch to add to their post.
Iranian Ministry of Sport, built ninjutsu clubs where more than 3000 women and girls train in this martial art.

Why the first range is called "Pioneer"

Muslim women in sports, Hijabee athletes, Islamic sportswear, sports hijab...

These are all terms that have only recently made the main spotlight of the global community.
Muslim women in sports in sports hijabs, are still few and far between especially in the professional world of sports.
This range is to celebrate those brave women who stepped out in faith and with their own strong wills, entered the world of professional sports.

They challenged hijab bans, defied the nay-sayers, and are spearheading this revolution.
Such are the likes of Ibtihaj Muhammad, Kulsoom Abdullah (who is not quite pro, but almost), Ruqayah al Ghasrah and many more.

They are the pioneers.

Sign this petition: Allow girls and women to play football wearing headscarves

UPDATE: FIFA lifts ban on hijabs after petition


Sign petition
WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT
During youth Olympics Football Tournament in Singapore 2010, FIFA & the executive committee issued that players couldn’t not wear a headscarf - Hijab, However the players may wear a cap that covers the players heads to the hairline, but does not extend below the ears to cover the neck
Girls and Women from many countries were affected by the following decision and were not allowed to play, which was a painful moment to the players from Jordan, Palestine ,Bahrain and Iran during the Olympics Qualification Rounds 2011.

This petition was done to show the community support to women wearing Headscarfs – Hijab playing football. We need everyone's support in this petition to be sent to FIFA and to hope FIFA will reconsider this decision and allow us to play with the Headscarf
خلال دورة الالعاب الاولمبية للشابات 2010 في سنغافورة،أصدرت اللجنة التنفيذية و الفيفا قرار بمنع اللاعبات من ارتداءالحجاب ، و يجوز للاعبات ارتداء قبعة تغطي رأس اللاعبة ، ولكن لا تمتد أسفل الأذنين لتغطية الرقبة.
والفيفا ستصدر قرارا نهائيا مارس 2012 في هذه المسألة، ونحن بهذه العريضة نتمنى جمع اكبر عدد من الاصوات لنبين دعم المجتمع لسمح ارتداء الحجاب في جميع مباريات كرة القدم المحلية والدولية
Sign petition
LET'S CHALLENGE FIFA ON THIS AND END THE HEARTACHE OF MUSLIM FEMALE FOOTBALLERS WHEN THEY ARE DISQUALIFIED OR BANNED FROM COMPETING BECAUSE OF THIS OUTDATED RULE!
Sign petition

Chest-covering friniggi sports hijabs

BEST FEATURE: COVERS CHEST
How? It's specialised cut allows it to drape over the chest while fitting snugly around the head, without being overly tight. This limits unnecessary movement of the sports hijab when you move. But still covers you the way you want it too.

Pioneer 702

See how far things travel on the internet

Three years ago I got involved in the PINK HIJAB DAY campaign and started the first campaign of its kind in Botswana.

There was an article written in the local paper at that time. Little did I know it was picked up in United Kingdom and published in The Muslim Weekly, a newspaper for Muslims in that area. Due to other obligations (such as this sportswear brand *guilty face*) I could no longer give enough time to PHD and tried to hand it over to more capable individuals. Surprise, surprise, no one wanted the job.. It's no longer held in Botswana. But that year we raised and donated over P22000 to the Cancer Association of Botswana.

I hope to do similar things with Muslim Women Sports Development insha Allah.
See it on their site: http://www.themuslimweekly.com/DetailView.aspx?NEWSID=TW00013880
I like how good news spreads around the world. I just wish good news would be reported more on the prime time news too.

The link to the article, click here.

Pioneer 403

I posted a new photo to Photos.

How to buy sportswear in our online store

1. Consult the Buying Guide, which is item no 1 on the shop page of the site. This will help you choose the size that best fits you, for the workout tops and sports hijabs.
http://www.friniggi.com/shop-friniggi.php

2. Browse through the shop, by scrolling down the shop page.
3. Click on the thumbnail image to view up-close pictures from different angles, of the item.
4. Select the quantity of the size you want.
5. Click ADD TO CART
6. Check the value of the price listed in your local currency using the currency converter. This is located on the top right corner of the top-bar at the very top of the page. The icon appears as a couple of coins. You'll find the shopping cart here too.
7. Once you are satisfied with your selection, proceed to checkout by clicking on the shopping basket on the top-bar.
8. Confirm the details of what you purchased. Select your area.
9. Register as a shopper, by completing all the required fields, agreeing to terms and conditions.
We need this info for marketing purposes and more importantly to make sure we can ship you your goods.
10. You may have to log-in. Don't worry your selection is saved in your shopping cart.
11. Return to shopping cart and pay via credit card where you'll be taken to a secure page with our payment processor.

Safe online shopping: Note the website's name is the VCS website. And your computer will show a CLOSED LOCK to indicate a secure site for processing cards.

Safe online shopping: The VCS logo's and security seal appear on the card processing page, indicating the transaction is processing using encryption.

Hope this helps to make your shopping experience with is easier.

friniggi singlet vs kulsoom singlet

I posted a new photo to KulsoomWWC2011/friniggisingletvskulsoomssinglet.

I've been working on a singlet for Kulsoom to wear at all competitions. The most recent singlet was the one I developed for worlds (emerald green singlet on left)
I was pretty proud of it, being the first performance sportswear developed under the friniggi brand for a specific sport, in this case weightlifting. THe rest of our performance sportswear is more for general purpose workout-wear.
For whatever reason, Kulsoom decided not to wear the friniggi singlet. And instead went with her own (dark green singlet on the right).
Disappointed as I was, I knew it was important for her to wear something she felt comfortable in, and for some reason the friniggi singlet didn't do it for her.
When I saw the pics of her WWC singlet, I was glad to see that the dark green singlet had improved from the black Nationals singlet she wore the first time after IWF changed regulations in July 2011.
I was also glad to see that some of the friniggi design elements also featured in Kulsoom's singlet:
- The vertical seam down from the neck to the crotch (An important design element that pulls the rest of the design features together)
- Straight cut from underarms to leg cuff (For more modesty - the Nationals singlet was sort of shapely on the waist and hips. The vertical seam helps to achieve this too)
- Lower crotch (For more modesty when squatting during lifts)

Kulsoom Abdullah WWC 2011 experience

I posted a new photo (plus more!!) to KulsoomWWC2011.

Nawal el Moutawakel in her prime (left). Emotional when accepting Laureus award 2010 (right).

I posted a new photo to muslimsportswomen.

Nawal el Moutakawel, 49, won the 400m hurdles race in 1984 in Los Angeles, becoming the first Muslim woman to earn a gold medal at the Olympic Games. She was also the first Muslim woman to be elected to the International Olympic Committee, in 1997. She won the Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010.
She currently serves on the International Olympic Committee and is leading the Committee delegation to Rio, for 2016 preparations.
Moutawakel is one of the Top Ten Female Muslim Athletes, past and present.

Get in tune with your body - Motivations for exercise

I believe in having the proper motivations for exercise to achieve consistent, desirable results.
In an earlier post Motivations for exercise I wrote about how the 'wrong' motivations can set you up for frustration and failure to reach your goals.

Instead of having motivations such as "I want to drop 4 sizes" or "I want to be as slim as so- and-so", rather choose more constant, more self-serving motivations that are sure to be met with exercise and continue to grow in strength the more you exercise.

What kind of motivations are these? Here are examples:
1. To look after one's body (not to make it fit a specific mental picture)
2. To appreciate one's body for what it does, help you live daily life
3. To be in tune with your body

There are more, but I'll leave that up to you to find your own. Such motivations forge the natural relationship between mind, body and soul. When that connection is stronger, all three are stronger and this contributes to greater overall health.

Looking a little closer at number 3 on that list:
GET IN TUNE WITH YOUR BODY:

Have you ever noticed how, when you first started exercising or stepped up your routine to something more challenging, you burned in muscles you didn't know you had? This is the first stage of getting in tune with your body.

Exercising with consciousness (don't let your mind wander, focus on every move and breath) helps you tune in to your body. You'll get to know what it needs, when it needs it and how often.

Ever notice, that when you changed from sedentary lifestyle to exercising regularly, certain cravings for junk food lost its appeal? This is especially true immediately after a workout. Fizzy drinks are not as appealing as thirst-quenching water. Chocolate bars are not as appealing as a banana or peanut-butter sandwich. Your body is high on endorphins from exercise replacing the craving for sugar-highs. And after paying attention to your body during a workout, you can hear, feel better what it truly wants.
The more you workout with this motivation, the more in tune you will be with your body.

One last point: Yoga breathers, those who have done pranayama exercises for many years, can actually feel when they have pneumonia or other lung infection. They pay so much attention to breathing that when one lung doesn't inflate as it usually does, they can feel it. That's getting in tune with your body!

Ibtihaj Muhammad may be first US Muslim to compete in hijab in 2012 Olympics

I posted a new photo to muslimsportswomen.

IBTIHAJ MUHAMMAD - IN HER OWN WORDS
Sourced: http://www.emel.com/article?id=90&a_id=2479
“I played many sports when I was younger, including tennis, softball, and volleyball. My mother then discovered that our local high school had a fencing team. I joined the team when I was 13, grateful to find a sport where, as a Muslim woman, my desire to dress modestly would be fulfilled. Also, for the first time in any sport I had played, I would wear the same uniform as my teammates.”
“For the first three years, I fenced epee. I had always been a good athlete, so naturally I was a decent epee fencer. When our fencing team had an opening on the sabre squad, my high school coach, Frank Mustilli, decided I would switch to sabre. I was reluctant at first, but in hindsight, I can say that switching to sabre was one of the best athletic decisions I have ever made. Without Frank practically forcing me into sabre, I don’t believe that I would still be fencing — certainly not at this advanced level.”
“Sabre is a lot more fast-paced than the other weapons. It is also a right of way weapon, which means that the fencer must take certain actions to score a point. It’s also a challenge because it requires agility, quick footwork and strategy.”
“As an athlete, I have always found my most challenging opponent to be myself. Competitions are often lost from losing mental focus. I also constantly remind myself that I am able to handle anything that comes my way."

Running a marathon or a race? 4 mistakes to avoid beforehand

Mistake number 1
EATING TOO MUCH FIBRE
Two to three days before a race, cut back on bran and other high fibre foods and veggies.
Too much fibre can upset digestion and make you feel bloated.
Munch on a banana or if you have the patience, blend a low -fibre smoothie before the race instead.
Mistake number 2
DRINKING ENERGY DRINKS
I'm not a big fan of energy drinks. They are usually loaded with too much sugar in the form of glucose, giving a sugar-rush which we mistake for a genuine energy rush. Well, it is an energy rush only an hour or two later, it will drop to lower than normal and you'll feel fatigued.
Some experts may advise you to drink energy drinks with lower glucose levels. But I think it's best to munch on that banana for slower energy release, and sip water throughout to stay hydrated. Don't gulp water as this can make you feel bloated and sluggish. Not ideal for running.
Mistake number 3
EATING A LOW-CARB DIET
If you do not have enough glycogen energy stores in your muscles, you will feel your energy run out before you finish running your race.
Eat a pasta meal the night before and a light pre-race breakfast (how about that low-fibre smoothis?) to stabilise your blood sugar levels.
Mistake number 4
INDULGING IN LEG MASSAGES
Massages are great... for relaxing! Before a race, massaging may only relax your muscles too much causing you to underperform and miss that 3 hour target for that 50km marathon. Jog for five minutes, stretch gently before the race. And indulge all you want in leg massages after the race as you bask in the glow of your achievement.

Boxing federation wants female boxers to wear skirts?

The Amateur Boxing Federation wants women to wear skirts in the ring.
Their reason: To make it easier to distinguish women from men.
My first thought is that it is ridiculous! Women are completely different build than men.
But then again, before pointing a fingers, I noticed the other three pointing back at me.
Aren't I also championing for changes in sporting dress codes? For hijab and covered legs and arms in sports?
It gives me some sense of perspective on what others may think of my purpose.
But if I had to choose from amongst a dress code that distinguishes women from men, a dresscode that made the sport more attractive to male spectators (like the badminton skirt code) and a dresscode that encourages and protects women's modesty: (whew!) I'd choose modesty. Anyday. It just has more substance.

Interview with Kulsoom Abdullah

Earlier this week I interviewed friniggi sponsored weightlifter, Kulsoom abdullah.
She chatted to us about the upcoming world championships in Paris, next month.
We also discussed issues affecting Muslimah athletes today and many more topics.
it's a 20 minute interview.
PLease allow time to download.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqP-fLSR7LM
Hope you enjoy it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqP-fLSR7LM

short sports hijab1

I posted a new photo to KulsoomAbdullahPakistankit.

Kulsoom's kit for weightlifting championships

Front of Kulsoom's Kit

Kulsoom represented Pakistan in the weightlifting championships 

Full view from the front

First, please excuse the poor image quality. I took this with my PC camera - not the most advanced equipment, but I have to make do.

This is the reason for my lack of blog posts, and my silence on social networking sites.
Past few weeks I've been developing a singlet, customised singlet, for Kulsoom. She has been registered to compete for Pakistan in the weightlifting championships next month in Paris. We were not sure if anyone or any organisation was going to send her a kit, so at the last minute we decided to do something to highlight the fact that a muslim sportswoman would be competing for Pakistan in the weightlifting championships. Certainly a remarkable feat!

It was a challenge as it had certain modest specifications but had to look like a singlet, which is usually tight fitting.
Kulsoom said she may not wear the singlet this time round, because due to distance (Africa and America) we could not have proper fittings.
Instead we did all we could with videos, pictures and emails.
And also the colour is a little too light to represent Pakistan national colours which is more of a darker green and white.
Still it is a W-I-P as we continue to develop it according to Kulsoom's needs so that it will truly be performance sportswear.

However, she has confirmed (at least for now ) that both her and her coach will wear the warm up suits friniggi is sponsoring them. AS I mentioned in a previous post, Kulsoom is under the friniggi 12th Girl sponsorship where I sponsor as much of her kit as possible. For now this is sports hijab, customised singlet, warm up suits.

I hope that Kulsoom goes far in her endeavours both on and off the weightlifting arena.

Sorry for lack of posts.. and a singlet for Kulsoom

I haven't been posting much lately..
Right now we're in the final stages of launching our online store.
Just a few more sample garments to be made for the online catalogue, a photoshoot for the catalogue, a few finishing touches here and there and we're done!
Not long to go. A few weeks at the most.
So please, kindly bear with me.
Also in the works is a custom singlet for Kulsoom. We're still in the early stages but I hope to have a singlet that is performance oriented which will work for Kulsoom and any other weightlifter. Most importantly it has to be within the rules of IWF regulations.
I've sent her a first prototype of a design, and we're currently going over the problem areas.
It's a challenge as it has to be loose, yet look like a singlet (which is usually tight).
Then with the looseness comes other practical problems like riding up the thigh when squatting (which by the way is a common maneuver in weightlifting) and that compromises modesty.
Another challenge is the distance. It's not like she can pop over for a fitting. I DHL the prototype to her, then communicate via email.
But it adds weeks to the process.
So it's like trying to strike a paper edge thin balance in design and function and the shipping makes it feel like the old days when we used to post letters.
But I believe we'll get there. Sooner or later. (though sooner will be better).

Haraam for women to play sports or exercise in public: 3 questions to tackle this belief

During a recent fundraiser for Muslim women athletes, I came across people with a particular interpretation of Shariah that believed Muslim women participating in sports in public is unlawful (unIslamic or haraam).

According to their beliefs Muslim women may participate in sports and exercise but behind closed doors, out of public view. This is because "Muslim women must not display themselves nor make a spectacle of themselves in public". Presumably for reasons of modesty.

Now there are many organisations that have formed to cater for this very need. They organise sports and exercise programmes complete with trained female referees, linesman and ensure sealed venues for tournaments and practice sessions. They go through a lot of trouble to ensure the proper conditions are met before the female athletes do their thing. The Muslim Women Sports Foundation (MWSF) in the UK functions like this.

But let's think through this a little more and let's look at things a little more closely, by asking a simple question:
IF it was haraam or unlawful for women to participate in sports and exercise in public, would that make walking in parks, streets, beaches in order to lose weight or increase fitness unIslamic for women?
The answer lies in that question.
It's common Islamic knowledge that women are allowed to walk in public (although I suppose the same group above, would probably argue otherwise) otherwise why the commandment to cover ourselves when in public?

So if our intention is to walk for exercise, it doesn't change the rules. A woman walking for exercise appears no different than a woman walking to get to her destination. She is hardly making a spectacle of herself, and provided she is covered her modesty is still intact.

Let's think through anther question:
IF we had to abide by this rule of practicing all sports and fitness indoors or out of public view, how would we do that?
I know the MWSF goes to great lengths to ensure there are female-only venues for their participants. They do good work and have done a great deal in developing Muslim women's sports.
BUt they achieve this at the organisational level. What about the woman with fitness goals at the individual level?

I really like the idea of not having to rely on any person or anything (besides Allah (SWT)) in my daily life. I love the idea of exercising using only your body and no equipment. I love making use of what I have instead of purchasing advertised goods.

Everything we need to live a fulfilled happy life is provided to us by Allah. When you detach yourselves from the need to have advertised goods and services, you may come to find that you really do not need that much to be happy.

Health is part of that happiness, and it is achievable through the simplest things in life. Veggies are very easy to grow than most plants. Perhaps there's a reason for that - because we rely so much on these foods for their minerals and vitamins to support our bodies. A few seeds can start a whole veggie patch in a matter of months. Not to mention, many foods grow wild too. And you could live quite healthily on that. Meat and fish come from the wild and it is only through commercialization of these commodities that we believe we have to have money to have these things.

When I was young I remember going with my uncle to a dam, and using a coke can and some gut wire, we got fish spending nothing else but our efforts.
This is the level of simplicity that I want to get to, in order to discuss the third question above: How would the woman with fitness goals at the individual level do it under those shariah rules?
She could do it in her home. But this limits her to strength training only using a body-only workout.
Sure she could do aerobic exercise at home too, on a treadmill or with a workout video. But remember, that involves purchasing advertised goods.

And that takes us away from our level of simplicity.
At a basic level of living, we grow our own food, we catch our own fish in non-commercialized fishing spots so no need to pay license fees, and we exercise by walking or running in open areas such as beaches, fields or even in the streets.

No extra money spent. Simply using what is already there ie beaches, fields and streets. And did you know that running barefoot on beach sand not only gives you aerobic exercise but some strength training for your legs as you have to push off while your feet sink into the sand? How's that for natural training at the basic level?

Now, after discussing all this, does it still make sense that women cannot participate in sports and exercise in public? Islam does not deny us health and fitness. I discussed this at the basic level of simplicity to accommodate for all kinds of people, eliminating money out of the equation, because I wanted to show that to abide by the above Shariah rule of practicing sports indoors requires additional monetary investment. This is not something readily available to most people and most communities.
Communities would have to invest in sports halls for women only. Something I applaud Iran for doing. But could India, Somalia or Mexico do the same?

Women would have to purchase treadmills or women-only gym memberships to run indoors, but again can the woman who earns less than $1 a day do the same?
The moulana who told me it was haraam for women to participate in public sports, also told me that there are now women-only gyms, and home-fitness machines making it possible for women to abide by this rule. By his own admission, it takes these modern day commercialized goods and services to abide by this rule. Let me ask again: What about those who cannot afford it?

Health is not a privilege nor the result of having wealth. It is a basic necessity for living. And it is accessible to all.
The woman who earns nothing, owns nothing, has no family nor community, can run in the park, on the beach, in the streets for her health. And she can do it in her chador, abaya; barefoot or with socks on if she believes in covering her feet too. Now why would Shariah deny us this?
I don't think it does.

IMPORTANT NOTE: There are many scholars (in my opinion, a majority) whose interpretation of Quran and Sunnah permit women to participate in sports in public. Even the Moulana / Imam who told me it was haram, said that there are different schools of thought on this issue, and that many would not agree with him. This is my own discussion and I am not a qualified scholar on Islam. Please always consult knowledgeable people with pure intentions on Islamic issues and matters of faith.

Iranian Womens Rugby

Next month the Rugby World Cup kicks off on 9 September in Auckland, New Zealand.
I know it's a little early but the countdown has already begun here in Southern Africa, as my country South Africa gets ready to defend their title as world champions. (Go Springboks!)
To get the excitement going I thought I'd feature lesser known rugby team: The Iranian womens' rugby team.
Isn't it excellent how Iran has their women involved in so many different types of sports?
Like their football team, the women play in full tracksuits and hijabs. Team coach, Fatme Molai says of their hijabs, "Wearing a veil does not change our method of play - clothes are something you wear and don't influence what you know how to do."
Last year they played in Europe for the first time in a seven-a-side tournament in Cortina D'Ampezzo, Italy, pictured above (Iran's Farzaneh Navab Rad, right, is challenged by Italy's Federica Carlet).
They lost 10-0 to the host nation and then suffered a further 33-0 setback in a second game. But they came back to win local side Valsugana 10-3.
Although they did not win in Europe that year, they did win in Laos and Thailand previously.
Playing sports in Iran has its rules. And in a game like rugby where few women particpate, there are fewer well-trained female coaches to do the job. Their coach, Alireza Iraj, abides by Iranian Islamic rules and avoids making direct contact with the players. In training sessions, he instructs a player to demonstrate a move and keeps his distance. Tricky! But they manage to do it.
They are not as strong as their footie counterparts, but over time I'm sure they'll only improve. If the Iranian sports record is anything to go by, then their perseverance will bring results.
Photo source (AP) and to read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1299440/Iranian-womens-rugby-team-field-wearing-modesty-preserving-headscarves-tracksuits.html#ixzz1UpYIWtD8