Asamoah Gyan deemed to have 'unethical hair' in United Arab Emirates

[Underverse]

http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/38978373

Some Islamic teachings ban 'Qaza' hairstyles, where only part of the head is shaved.

Individual match referees judge whether players' haircuts are appropriate.

Similar guidelines have been enforced in neighbouring countries. In 2012, Saudi Arabia goalkeeper Waleed Abdullah was told to cut his "un-Islamic" hair by the referee before playing for his club side Al Shabab.

The UAEFA sends a player's club a warning letter in the first instance, with punishments escalating to a fine and then a suspension if he does not comply.

Gyan is one of 46 players at the warning letter stage.

This is pretty strange to me. What I find to be most interesting is that these are not fringe beliefs; these are in fact widely-held, mainstream views. I think it's reasonable for teams or leagues to enforce uniforms, but I don't see why hairstyle is something that should fall into this category.

More importantly, I think enforcing religious or non-religious items of personal identification is an irreconcilable violation of certain values that we hold close in Western cultures - certainly a violation of civil rights but perhaps even a violation of human rights, if we think it to be a human right for individuals to choose whether or not to worship a certain pantheon or god.

What do you think?

[Ripster42]

I thought this was going to be you not knowing how to spell heir and about an illegitimate child. I'm sad now.

[Swizzington]

Unethical hair? Lmao. Now I've heard everything.

[Mad_Murdock]

Doesn't this boil down to the team or League and they decide what the dress code is? Unless he is going to be jailed for it, it's not a human rights violation.

Unethical hair? Lmao. Now I've heard everything.

Not really new, years ago, IBM had requirements for grooming. Short trimmed hair, Trimmed, neat beard etc. My Sons' high school has rules about hair dying to distracting colors etc. This is just a little stricter.

[Underverse]

Doesn't this boil down to the team or League and they decide what the dress code is? Unless he is going to be jailed for it, it's not a human rights violation.

He'll be fined and suspended - not jailed, but still punished.

As a follow-up: would you consider it to be a human rights violation if the US or FIFA required that all players wear crucifixes during their games or face indefinite suspension?

[Deleted]

I'm sure he doesn't mind £225k a week to sit on the bench.

[Mad_Murdock]

He'll be fined and suspended - not jailed, but still punished.

As a follow-up: would you consider it to be a human rights violation if the US or FIFA required that all players wear crucifixes during their games or face indefinite suspension?

Nope, their league their rules. We have dress codes now in the NFL, NBA, MLB, people get fined for violating those rules.

Players will no longer be able to wear:

• Sleeveless shirts
• Shorts
• T-shirts
• Chains, pendants, or medallions worn over the player’s clothes.
• Sunglasses while indoors.
• Headphones (other than on the team bus or plane, or in the team
locker room).

Players will also now be required to wear a sport coat on the bench when they are not in uniform.

U of Kentucky's old basketball coach Tubby Smith didn't allow his players to have facial hair, no one screamed about human right violations

I don't have an issue with the player's hair, but it's not my team. Obviously the player can appeal to any player unions and try his hand at court.

[Swizzington]

Doesn't this boil down to the team or League and they decide what the dress code is? Unless he is going to be jailed for it, it's not a human rights violation.



Not really new, years ago, IBM had requirements for grooming. Short trimmed hair, Trimmed, neat beard etc. My Sons' high school has rules about hair dying to distracting colors etc. This is just a little stricter.

It's not really about the rules. I am familiar with requirements such as these. It's just the phrase "unethical" hair that gets me. Like how can hair be in any way related to ethics.

[Mad_Murdock]

It's not really about the rules. I am familiar with requirements such as these. It's just the phrase "unethical" hair that gets me. Like how can hair be in any way related to ethics.

Their country, their ethics. We can scratch our heads and disagree with it or at least disagree with the terminology used, at the end of the day it still a dress code to the rest of us. From my understanding, Saudi Arabia has much bigger issues to complain about that than their rules for althelet's hair

[Underverse]

Nope, their league their rules. We have dress codes now in the NFL, NBA, MLB, people get fined for violating those rules.

Players will no longer be able to wear:

• Sleeveless shirts
• Shorts
• T-shirts
• Chains, pendants, or medallions worn over the player’s clothes.
• Sunglasses while indoors.
• Headphones (other than on the team bus or plane, or in the team
locker room).

Players will also now be required to wear a sport coat on the bench when they are not in uniform.

U of Kentucky's old basketball coach Tubby Smith didn't allow his players to have facial hair, no one screamed about human right violations

I don't have an issue with the player's hair, but it's not my team. Obviously the player can appeal to any player unions and try his hand at court.

Again, I was making a distinction between non-religious dress code, which I affirm is acceptable, and requiring religious dress code, which I think goes a bit too far.

- - - Updated - - -

Their country, their ethics. We can scratch our heads and disagree with it or at least disagree with the terminology used, at the end of the day it still a dress code to the rest of us. From my understanding, Saudi Arabia has much bigger issues to complain about that than their rules for althelet's hair

Ah so I see the issue. The thing is, cultural relativism is shit. Morality doesn't end where the border of another country begins.

[Mad_Murdock]

Ah so I see the issue. The thing is, cultural relativism is shit. Morality doesn't end where the border of another country begins.

So what's your solution? Forward this story to all our friends and start an on-line protest? Or do we go all in and send in the troops to bring western morals to the unwashed heathens? One of the problems that divides the US is that some people get to a level of openness faster than others, some want to force those lagging behind to catch up. Sometimes, we have to let others get to that place on their own. Sure we can nudge and prod them in the direction, but running in screaming, "You're wrong! We're right! change your rules!" Just isn't always the best way

Again, I was making a distinction between non-religious dress code, which I affirm is acceptable, and requiring religious dress code, which I think goes a bit too far.

But some of those dress codes has it's roots in religion (dress in modesty). The NBA dress code at the time(2005) was called racists, because it mostly affected black athletes(or so was the claim). Now it's mostly accepted by the athletes.(at least according to a Rolling Stone article). A dress code is a dress code, whether they don't like his hair because of religious beliefs or because it doesn't fit their corporate image doesn't overly matter

[Gamer8585]

Unless I'm misreading it sounds like this is a requirement of the league not the government. While you can agree or disagree with the decision its not one that's mandated by the government and punished criminally, so no human rights violation here. Many sports leagues have dress requirements and even conduct requirements sometimes its to keep its own players safe and out of jail, and other times its just to protect the brand image.

Even many corporations have basic "appearance" requirements (can range from a strict dress and grooming code to just showering regularly), and can be reflected on an employee evaluation.

Its a bit awkward to hear the requirement couched in the language of "ethics," but it might just be a quark of the culture that codes of conduct are often rooted though ethical precepts and that's just the value being expressed. It may also be a translation issue if the word for unacceptable and unethical are literally the same, but its context that changes the connotation.

[Mister Cheese]

That's a big load of bullshit. There is no Islamic teaching on hairstyles ... probably just UAE peeps don't consider it decent for whatever reason. Let's stick "Islam" on every fucking piece of news so it can be a little bit hotter I guess.

http://islamqa.org/hanafi/askimam/6036

Yes there is. Literally fourth or fifth result on google. Shaving your head partially is not allowed.

[luc54]

If any hairstyle should be offence in football it should definetely be Manuel Chamaks style.


As for topic sure they can set such standards for hairstyles, but it's kinda ridiculous I would say. If they want top footballers to ever play there, they need to be able to put up with their shit hair styles.

[Swizzington]

You should try http://list25.com/25-normal-things-t...t-we-still-do/ - since this is sort of a religious thread anyhow, I take my chance until it is locked.

You probably haven't heard half of it. And even for Christians, hair is on the list.....

Don't worry I live in the bible belt I know all about the crazy shit the bible says. Except I didn't know about the women not allowed to speak in church one. That one doesn't get enforced very often. Hypocrites.

[monkmastaeq]

A little wacky for sure but, their house their rules really. It's only hair and he could refuse to play i guess, I'm sure the anti muslim crowd would pitch in for the fine