Female Muslim footballer Iqra Ismail not allowed to play match in trousers in UK

By Selcuk Bugra Gokalp

Iqra Ismail, a female Muslim footballer in UK, was not allowed to play the game in trousers in a Division 1 North fixture late last week.

British-born Somali player Ismail, 24, said in a video on Instagram that the referee did not allow her to enter the football pitch because she was not wearing shorts.

"The Greater London Women’s Football League have stopped me from playing because I refused to wear shorts with my playing kit," said Ismail.

"I have been playing in this league for almost five years now, wearing tracksuit bottoms, and every year they have made it more and more difficult for women like me to play. This year, they have drawn the line and banned me from playing until I compromise my beliefs," she added.

London-based amateur club United Dragons without Ismail beat Tower Hamlets 6-3 on Oct. 27.

British media reported that an English Football Association (FA) spokesperson later apologized to Ismail and reassured her that the league remain "deeply committed to ensuring that English football is an inclusive and welcoming environment for everybody."

Ismail, who was the skipper of Somalia in 2019, also works as a coach, and she was the director of Hilltop women's football club in previous years.

She is now the Female Refugee Football Project Coordinator at QPR's (Queens Park Rangers) community trust.