Local student-athlete disqualified from race for wearing hijab

SYLVANIA, Ohio — "My hijab is a part of me. Like if you're asking me to run without my hijab, you're asking me not to run. That's period. Point-blank."

Noor Alexandria Abukaram runs varsity cross-country at Sylvania Northview.

After crossing the finish line strong in her hardest race Saturday, officials informed her coach that she was disqualified.

"We go and try to find our placings on the papers that they put out, and my name wasn't there," Noor said.

Even though Noor had run in several races before, this time, officials pointed out that she did not have a waiver that allows runners to participate in a hijab.

"You sign it when you're violating a rule, so, you know, hijabs not being allowed is not a rule," Noor explained.

There is no written rule against wearing a religious head covering.

Instead, it's verbal, making it unclear to both athletes and coaches.

"All these officials knew about this unwritten rule and I've been running and no one told me and I guess I just felt like a clown," Noor said.

Noor has been a student-athlete for three years, and even has a FIFA approved hijab for soccer.

But she has never had anything like this happen to her.

"When you get that taken away from you and you're placing in the whole race is taken away...I don't know...It was disappointing I guess," Noor said.

Moving forward, Noor has to have a waiver for each cross-country season.

One day...she wants to see that change.

"I mean, I understand uniform, but anything that is part of their religion and apart of who they are, they shouldn't have to stop another thing that they love," Noor said.