Fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on March 9, 2016, in Beverly Hills, Calif.
Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images
The incredibly popular SXSW festival, made even more so by President Obama’s address there this week, made an unfortunate misstep when it asked African-American Muslim and Rio-bound Olympian Ibthihaj Muhammad to remove her head covering for a press photo on Saturday.
To add insult to injury, when Muhammad—who will be the first US Olympian to wear a hijab—finally received her badge, it had another Muslim-sounding name on it: Tamir.
Muhammad, a Duke University graduate and member of the USA Fencing World Team, tweeted about the incident yesterday saying she wore her headscarf for religious reasons but SXSW authorities “insisted” she remove it to receive her credential.
I was just asked to remove my hijab at SXSW Registration for my ID badge.. I can’t make this stuff up #SXSW2016
— Ibtihaj Muhammad (@IbtihajMuhammad) March 12, 2016
Even after I explained it was for religious reasons, he insisted I had to remove my hijab for the photo to receive my badge #SXSW2016
— Ibtihaj Muhammad (@IbtihajMuhammad) March 12, 2016
Thennnnn I was given the wrong ID! From now on my name is Tamir & I work for Time Warner Inc #SXSW2016 pic.twitter.com/TE3jJR16P6
— Ibtihaj Muhammad (@IbtihajMuhammad) March 12, 2016
SXSW released a statement about the incident later in the day, saying it “sincerely regrets” the incident, reports the Guardian:
“It is not our policy that a hijab or any religious head covering be removed in order to pick up a SXSW badge. This was one volunteer who made an insensitive request and that person has been removed for the duration of the event. We are embarrassed by this and have apologized to Ibtihaj in person, and sincerely regret this incident.”
Not only does the Visa- and American Airlines-sponsored fencer slay with her saber, but the Newark, N.J. native is also the creator of Louella, a chic, online fashion line for Muslim women.
Read more at the Guardian.
