NPR

Wearing A Hijab, A Young Muslim Boxer Enters The Ring

After three years of training and a battle with USA Boxing over its uniform policy, Amaiya Zafar will fight in her first competitive bout on Saturday. She says she fell in love with the sport at 13.
16-year-old Amaiya Zafar (left) spars in the Circle of Disclipline gym in Minneapolis earlier this month. USA Boxing has granted Zafar a religious exemption to fight in one bout while wearing hijab.

In November, young boxer Amaiya Zafar traveled from Minnesota to Florida to fight her first competitive bout.

But before Zafar even had her gloves on, officials called off the fight – they told the 16-year-old she had to remove the hijab she wore or forfeit the match. A devout Muslim, Zafar refused, and her 15-year-old opponent was declared the victor.

USA Boxing, the sport's national governing body, that athletes fight in sleeveless jerseys and shorts no longer than the knee. Zafar

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR4 min readAmerican Government
California Judge Recommends Disbarment Of Pro-Trump Attorney John Eastman
A California judge found that attorney John Eastman committed "exceptionally serious ethical violations" in his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election and recommended disbarment.
NPR3 min read
Biden Administration Restores Threatened Species Protections Dropped By Trump
Among the changes, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will reinstate a decades-old regulation that mandates blanket protections for species newly classified as threatened.
NPR9 min readWorld
Fractures In The Grand Alliance Between Black And Jewish Americans
The Grand Alliance between Black and Jewish leaders, known largely for shared work on Civil Rights in the 1960s, has a complicated legacy--and an uncertain future between these communities.

Related Books & Audiobooks