En Garde: Muslim-American Woman Fencer Slashes Stereotypes

Posted: February 1st, 2013 by the US Embassy in UK

Author: irc

U.S. Fencing’s Ibtihaj Muhammad demonstrates her fencing jacket at a school in East London

On Monday 28 January, Ibtihaj Muhammad, the first Muslim woman to compete on behalf of the United States in international competition, visited three schools in East London. She spoke to students about the importance of setting goals, leading a healthy lifestyle, and overcoming obstacles related to race, religion, and gender.

Ibtihaj, a two-time U.S. National Fencing Champion and a member of the U.S. National Fencing Team since 2009, began fencing at the age of 13. She was raised in an athletic household with four siblings and played many recreational sports growing up. After searching for a sport that would enable her to comply with the Muslim requirement of modesty by remaining fully covered, her mother pointed out students fencing in full body uniforms while driving by their local school. Muhammad said because of this chance moment, “I’d like to think fencing found me.” Reminding students again of the ability to find a passion regardless of circumstance she added, “Don’t let anyone tell you no. There’s nothing you can’t achieve.”

Despite uncovering talent at a fairly young age, the journey to the top for Ibtihaj has not been without obstacles. She shared with students the many difficulties over which she has prevailed and those she continues to face as an African-American, Muslim, female athlete. Taunted by her peers in sport for wearing a hijab and challenged by keeping up with Islamic rituals while maintaining an intensive training and competition schedule (once even completing an Olympic training camp in the high altitude of Colorado Springs while fasting for Ramadan), Ibtihaj proved to the students that refusing to compromise makes for the toughest kind of competitor. Financial barriers have also threatened Ibtihaj’s career from time to time, as the Muhammad family struggled to keep up with the expensive demands on an average income. Students at the Sarah Bonnell School in East London gasped as Muhammad shared the price tag on her fencing mask- around six hundred US dollars. But Ibtihaj reinforced, “When there’s a will, there’s a way.”

Ibtihaj was recruited by Duke University on an academic scholarship where in 2004, 2005, and 2006 she was an NCAA All-American while also double majoring in International Relations and African Studies. After attending her first national fencing event and failing to qualify for the second day of competition, Ibtihaj discovered that to be successful at the level of competition she desired, she would need to set continual realistic and measurable goals. Emphasizing this idea to students, Muhammad compared her goal-setting process to studying for an exam. She explained, “You don’t study really hard to get an A on an exam and then revert to your old ways, slack off, and expect the same results. It’s the same idea I use in training.” Ibtihaj attributes her success to being dedicated to a healthy lifestyle and instilled in students that sometimes a commitment to healthy living requires straying from cultural norms.

Despite her many accolades, Ibtihaj says the most fulfilling aspect of her time as a member of the U.S. National Team has been opportunities to share her story with students like those she visited in East London. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recognized Muhammad’s ability to connect and inspire youth by calling her to serve on the U.S. Department of State’s Council to Empower Women and Girls through Sports alongside athletes like Michelle Kwan and Mia Hamm. But Ibtihaj’s dedication to giving back should not fool anyone into thinking she is taking time away from her hectic training schedule. Her eyes are firmly fixed on the next goal: becoming the first American to wear a hijab at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, 2016.

Full link: http://www.usembassy.org.uk/irc/2013/02/01/en-garde-muslim-american-woman-fencer-slashes-stereotypes/

Ramadan Exercise Tips from Ibtihaj Mohammad

Muslim Sportswomen on the Rise: An Inspiration to Young Women around the World

By Marium Sattar

An increasing number of Muslim women are competing in sports. They face numerous challenges that are not an issue for their non-Muslim sisters and have to overcome additional hurdles on their way to sporting success. Marium Sattar takes a look at the status quo and reports on how Muslim women are breaking new ground on the track, on the piste and in the boxing ring

At the first ceremony of its kind, fencer and Olympic hopeful Ibtihaj Muhammad's achievements as a Muslim sportswoman were recognised at the Ambassador Awards. The awards, which were hosted by the Muslim Women's Sport Foundation in London in the first week of May, honoured Muslim women in this field. They are a reminder that Muslim sportswomen have broken new ground in the world of sports and helped change perceptions in society at large.

Although there are more Muslim women competing in sports today than there have been in the past, their legacy is overlooked. Halet Çambel, for example, was the first Muslim woman to compete in the Olympics. She did so in 1936, representing Turkey. Many athletes like her were honoured at the awards, where Muhammad won the International Sportswoman of the Year. However, women's sports participation in some countries is still limited.

The issue of dress

One challenge some Muslim sportswomen have contended with is regulations about athletic dress codes. However, they have also paved the way for other players who want to dress modestly while still competing in the sports they love. In 2007, for example, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) placed a ban on wearing the hijab, or headscarf, during matches due to fears that it could lead to choking.

The ban even led to the Iranian women's football team being deemed ineligible for a qualifying match for the Olympics; however, this year, FIFA is planning to overturn that rule in light of new hijabs designed specifically for athletes. The decision will be announced on 2 July after further testing of the new hijabs to ensure their safety.

Ibtihaj Muhammad, who competes in a hijab, will fence for the US at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Says Muhammad: "I want to compete in the Olympics for the United States to prove that nothing should hinder anyone from reaching their goals – not race, religion or gender. I want to set an example that anything is possible with perseverance."

Muhammad says that her faith, which requires women to dress modestly, directed her choice to start fencing, a sport that requires players to cover themselves from head to toe. "Often times, when I'm in competition, I'm the only African American, the only black person, definitely the only Muslim – not only representing the United States but in the competition itself. It can be really difficult…" she said.

Cultural and religious hindrances

Given their diversity, Muslim sportswomen are an inspiration to young women around the world. Yet some young women from Muslim backgrounds still face challenges overcoming cultural restrictions either because their parents believe girls should not become athletes or perhaps simply because they do not have role models. However, these restrictions did not stop Pakistani runner Naseem Hameed, who won the gold medal for her performance at the 100-metre race at the South Asian Games in 2010, making her the fastest woman in South Asia.

As more athletes like Hameed come into the limelight, young women watching them may start to have higher expectations about what they can achieve, especially in sports.

Other Muslim sportswomen have contended with much bigger hurdles. Sadaf Rahimi, a 17-year-old boxer from Afghanistan, is one Ambassador Award nominee who overcame a lack of training facilities and the difficulties of living under the Taliban, which banned women from playing sports. Rahimi, who will be representing Afghanistan at the London 2012 Olympics, shatters stereotypes about Afghan women. Like her peers, she counteracts the misconception that Muslim women cannot play sports, while demonstrating that perseverance can overcome even the toughest hurdles.

The fastest woman in South Asia: to the obvious delight of her parents, Naseem Hameed of Pakistan won gold in the 100-metre sprint at the South Asian Games in 2010

Inspiring women to excel

In another part of the Muslim world, Qatar recently announced that it will send female athletes to the Olympics for the first time. Brunei has also included a female hurdler and 400-metre runner, Maziah Mahusin, in its Olympic team for the first time. The sultanate’s participation in sports heralds a new era, one that is more inclusive of all women and shows that governments are following where women are leading.

Many athletes at the Ambassador Awards said they never expected to excel as they have, a reality that shows young women that they are capable of achieving more than they may think is possible.

At the event, Muhammad reflected on how much her faith and sports have shaped her identity. "I would never have guessed in a million years that my hijab would have led me to fencing, to a sport, but also that I would have grown to love this sport so much. It's so much a part of who I am; I can't even imagine life without it."

Source: http://en.qantara.de/An-Inspiration-to-Young-Women-around-the-World/19241c20333i0p9/

Interview with Ibtinaj Muhammad by NPR: Olympic Hopeful Mixes Muslim Faith And Fencing

By Michel Martin

Host (Martin): We want to turn our attention now to sports. Ibtihaj Muhammad is currently training about 40 hours a week, hoping to qualify for the 2012 London Olympics. Her dedication and skill would cause her to stand out, anyway, but there's another reason she does: her hijab, which she wears while competing. She hopes to become the first American Muslim woman to compete and hopefully win at the Olympic Games wearing a hijab.

And she was nice enough to take a break from her busy schedule to talk with us more about her sport and her faith. Welcome. Thank you so much for joining us.

IBTIHAJ MUHAMMAD: Thank you.

MARTIN: For listeners not familiar with fencing, could you tell us a little bit more about the sport and also about your particular weapon? You compete in the saber, if I have that right.

MUHAMMAD: Yes. A lot of people have seen fencing in movies like "The Parent Trap," or have an idea of it from "Zorro." And it's, I guess, something similar to that. We use weapons, and I'd like to describe it as the physical chess. It's very tactical, and you have to be athletic, and it's really exciting.

MARTIN: I do want to mention that you are ranked number two among U.S. women using that weapon.

MUHAMMAD: Yup.

MARTIN: So that's no small achievement there. I just want to let people know that, you're highly accomplished in your field. How did you get interested in fencing?

MUHAMMAD: I was driving past my local high school - I think I was about 12 - with my mom, and she noticed the fencing team practicing in the high school from the road and, you know, she suggested that I try out when I got to high school. And what drew us to fencing was the long sleeves and long pants that the fencers wore.

As a practicing Muslim woman, I knew that I would not only have to find a sport that accommodated my religious beliefs, but also where I could be fully covered and not have to change the uniform.

MARTIN: And had you played any sports before?

MUHAMMAD: Yeah, I have. I think back then I ran track. I played softball and a little bit of tennis.

MARTIN: But you were younger than 12, so you were not yet at the age where you would be expected to begin covering. Is that it?

MUHAMMAD: No, no, no, no. But when I got to high school, I played four years of volleyball. I played softball. And, you know, with volleyball, you wear - my teammates wore spandex and, like, a tank top. That was our team uniform. And I wore a t-shirt underneath the tank top and I swore sweatpants. So fencing was a bit different in that I didn't have to alter the uniform at all, and I really felt a part of the team.

MARTIN: What is it that you like about it? Obviously, it took to you and you've taken to it. What do you think you - what do you like about it, and why do you think you're good at it?

MUHAMMAD: You know, it's tough. I enjoy being able to critique myself when I'm finished fencing, whether I win or lose. I like that I can, you know, pick apart that particular bout. I know how I scored touches, how I lost touches or points. You know, it's really easy to, you know, lose and be able to fix your mistakes, whereas on a team, you know, I guess whether you win or lose can be in the hands of someone else, and I've never felt comfortable with that.

MARTIN: If you're just joining us, this is TELL ME MORE, from NPR News. I'm speaking with Ibtihaj Muhammad. She is a fencer. She has her sights set on the 2012 London Olympics. She's currently ranked number two among U.S. women using her weapon, the saber. And she is also a Muslim American, and she plans to compete wearing her hijab. She hopes to be the first Muslim American woman to compete at an Olympic games, in fact, wearing hijab.

I notice you said you were looking for a sport where you didn't have to modify the uniform, where hopefully you actually just fit in more and didn't feel kind of having to make these accommodations. But you have had to make accommodations to compete.

For example, I understand that you participated in a training camp in Colorado Springs which was during Ramadan, where the observant fast from sunup to sundown. How did you accommodate the rigorous training schedule - especially at altitude, right - while fasting? And also refraining from taking water. How did you do it?

MUHAMMAD: You know, that was, honestly, I think, one of the toughest Ramadans that I've had in my experience while fasting, not only, you know, abstaining from eating or drinking, but also, as you said, the altitude. Trying to be an athlete and train at a really high altitude is tough. You dehydrate a lot faster. You're susceptible to injury when you're dehydrated. So we were training twice a day, and I found that meeting with the trainers at the Olympic training center, they were really, really helpful.

They put me on a strict diet, like I didn't have a lot of salt intake. I had to wake up periodically in the night to consume Gatorade and water to make sure that I didn't suffer from dehydration. And the tough thing about it is, you know, when you're not drinking and you're training at this level, you do suffer from dehydration, and I did have a few muscle strains and pulls during that time. But, you know, fasting is a part of my life. Being Muslim is a part of my life, and, you know, fencing, I work into it, but I wouldn't fence if it hindered, you know, me practicing my religion in any way.

MARTIN: But won't the Olympic Games in 2012 coincide with Ramadan?

MUHAMMAD: Yeah, they will.

MARTIN: Well, how do you anticipate adjusting? I guess you'll have to do the same thing, right? Hydrate at night and - I don't know. What are you going to do?

MUHAMMAD: Yeah. I mean, honestly, if I'm blessed to make the team, then that's like the furthest thing from my mind, you know, having to fast while competing. I've done it before and, you know, I feel as though I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. It's not something that I worry about.

MARTIN: You know, people often - these days, the narrative around being Muslim American is, you know, you get sort of these sort of polar opposite perspectives. On the one hand, you know, there was a series on - a reality series - it's just actually concluding this weekend - called "All-American Muslim." The idea, obviously, is to show that, you know, Muslims are Americans like everybody else and they do the same stuff and, you know, they want to play sports and, you know, they have their family squabbles and, you know, men do the dishes and, you know...

MUHAMMAD: Right.

MARTIN: ...excuse me, it's not a big deal. And then there's this other thing, where there's this other sort of narrative where people are - there's a constant tension, and are people treating you differently because of your hijab or your religious practices. And then there's the other story of: Can we really trust these people? Are they really our fellow, you know, patriots? Are they really loyal to the country and so forth?

And I'm just - you know, we're talking about your sport and, really, if we weren't talking about the accommodations of Ramadan and the uniform, we could really be talking to, sort of, any other athlete. I guess what I'm wondering is, in your world, does the fact of your being a Muslim American matter a very great deal, except for the fact that it is important to you in your own individual way and as a part of who you are? Does that make sense? Do you know what I'm asking?

MUHAMMAD: It does. You know, being a Muslim American is not easy at all. It's very difficult. And the way I practice Islam speaks for itself and, you know, people can either accept me or they can choose not to. And I feel the same way about the show. I don't think that "All-American Muslim" in any way represents who I am. I like to think that I'm a very conservative Muslim, and I think that a lot of the Muslims on that show, I would say, are extremely liberal.

But when you do have people who have this close-minded view of what Islam is, it's easy to group us all into one box or one category.

MARTIN: Do you hope, though, that in part, your participation in the Olympics will - if you are lucky enough to make the team - will have some positive benefit in how people view Muslims and Islam? Or would you really prefer that they not think about your religion or your religious identity when you're competing?

MUHAMMAD: I mean, the reality is that I am different. I mean, I'm African-American and I do wear the hijab. So I know that I look completely different from my teammates, and I don't expect everyone to ignore that fact. I mean, even with them fencing, yes, there are very, very few Muslims. I'm the only Muslim on the team, but there are even fewer, I'd say, minorities.

To some way, you know, encourage or inspire minorities - religious minorities in the country to see themselves in this space, I know that I have accomplished a lot, but I think that there's definitely more ground to cover. I mean, fencing has done so much for me. You know, it helped me get into a really great university, and I wouldn't be where I am in my life without fencing, without sports. And it's helped me focus in so many ways.

So if my message reaches anyone, I hope that it reaches more kids than anything. I want them to be comfortable in their own skin and be comfortable with practicing their religion, and not only in the United States, but everywhere.

MARTIN: Ibtihaj Muhammad is a fencer. She currently ranks number two among U.S. women using her particular weapon, the saber. She is training to compete in the 2012 Olympics, which will be held in London. And she was kind enough to join us today from our studios in New York.

Ibtihaj, thank you so much for speaking with us, and good luck to you in everything. Keep us posted.

MUHAMMAD: Michel, thank you so much for having me. I appreciate it.

MARTIN: Please join us tomorrow for our regular Faith Matters conversation. We'll talk about the observance of Epiphany, or Three Kings Day.

Source: http://www.npr.org/2012/01/05/144737954/olympic-hopeful-mixes-muslim-faith-and-fencing

Muslim fencer has it all covered

By Julia Savacool

When Ibtihaj Muhammad discovered fencing in high school, there was no way she could have known her hobby would take her all the way to the cusp of the Olympic Games. Her passion for the sport was much simpler: As a practicing Muslim, she needed to cover herself in public. Here was a sport that required she do just that -- while still letting her experience the thrill of competing. Muhammad's knack for fencing quickly became evident, and she rose through the ranks to become one of the best in the country. Now, just three months from the announcement of the 2012 American Olympic team, she is training harder than ever for a spot on the roster, determined by points in upcoming tournaments. The competition is intense -- one mistake can be the difference between having a spot on the team or watching the Games from home -- but Muhammad remains focused. Her mother, Denise Muhammad, credits her daughter's success in part to her desire to be the first American Muslim female Olympian in her sport. espnW learned more from Denise about what it's been like for Ibti as an ethnic and religious outsider trying to fit in.

espnW: Fencing is a pretty niche sport. At what age did Ibti commit to it?

Denise Muhammad: We didn't even know what it was, really. She started getting involved with the sport in high school. But even at a young age, I encouraged all my children to be active. I have four daughters and a son, and they all played some kind of sport.

espnW: What else did Ibti play?

DM: She swam, played tennis, softball, track and field and volleyball. I'd make her outfits that covered her arms and legs, which allowed her to participate while still being true to her faith. She kept with volleyball through high school, along with fencing. But when it came time for college, it was clear there were better school opportunities for a fencer than a volleyball player. So she went that route.

espnW: Were you concerned about her fitting in?

DM: To a certain extent. Fencing is a very white sport. It isn't integrated, so she was truly a minority when she joined her team. But her teammates have been very accepting; it's her other friends, especially when she started, that gave her a hard time -- "You're doing what?!" -- that kind of thing. She learned early on not to let other people's opinions influence her goals in this sport.

espnW: Is that something she learned from you?

DM: I never played sports; I was just a spectator. I grew up in an era where girls were not encouraged to play sports. There were no female athletes in my family before Ibti.

espnW: The religious requirements do make it difficult ...

DM: As a Muslim girl playing school sports, you set yourself up to be singled out because of altering the uniforms. I don't think any of my Muslim friends or other Muslim women I knew would have encouraged their daughters to pursue athletics in a public school. Most of their children went to private schools, so they didn't have to face that situation. Financially, we couldn't do that. But I still encouraged my girls to play sports because of what it does for strengthening your body and your mind, and also because it's a healthy place for a social life. My girls knew I would never let them go to parties or mingle with the boys, but that was OK because they could socialize with their teammates.

espnW: What do you want your daughters to gain from playing sports?

DM: I want them to be self-confident. I raised Ibti to be very self-assured. With sports, when you're good at something, people are drawn to you -- they want to be around you, you're like a magnet. Ibti has made her identity as a fencer and an athlete. People respond to that, and it's given her confidence.

espnW: Where does she get her work ethic from?

DM: As a family, we never had money to play with. So it was always, if you're going to do something, we'll support you, but you need to give it your all. Don't be lackadaisical. But really, she pushes herself. She's a very competitive person.

espnW: You probably never imagined her getting to this point. Now that she has, any thoughts on her future?

DM: Well, last year at this time Ibti's goal was to make the world team. She kept saying, "Oh, Mom, if I could just make this team ..." And she did. Now it's, "Oh, Mom, if I could just make the Olympics ..." So that's obviously the big goal right now. We'll see -- the competition is very tough, but she's also very focused. As her mother, I don't want her to lose sight of having fun! I tell her, you don't have to carry our entire community on your shoulders. Just relax and enjoy it. You can't do any more than what God has planned for you."

Source: http://espn.go.com/espnw/journeys-victories/7323847/muslim-fencer-ibti-muhammad-all-covered

Carter: Maplewood woman could be first American Muslim to wear hijab while competing at Olympics

By Barry Carter
Ibtihaj Muhammad jogs lightly across the second floor gym at the Manhattan Fencing Center in New York. She’s warming up, eager to get some work in.

Ready! Fence!
Fencers are already on the strip, a narrow fighting lane, and they’re going at it, the air filled with little razor-like hisses and whispers. Many are Olympic hopefuls, like her, preparing for the World Championships Saturday in Italy. The competition is another chance for Muhammad to earn qualifying points in her quest to make the 2012 London Olympics in July.
"I don’t think I ever wanted anything so much," said Muhammad, 25, of Maplewood. "I just want to make sure I’m doing everything I can to make this Olympics."
When it’s her turn to spar, she slips the fencing mask over her hijab, the headscarf Muslim women wear. In a room full of fencers, it’s the one thing that makes her stand out. If she makes the Olympics, she’ll stand out even more. Fencing officials believe Muhammad is likely to be the first American Muslim woman wearing a hijab to compete at the games. The United States Olympic Committee doesn’t track athletes by religion, but the demographic is something Muhammad thinks about, knowing what an accomplishment it would be since few Muslim women compete in sports.
"I didn’t have female Muslim role models to look up to in the athletic world," she said. "It’s really important for people to know my story. I think it’s something I have to do, because I want Muslim female youth to believe they can do something like this."
Muhammad is ranked number two in the United States and 13th in the world in women’s sabre, a fencing style in which strikes are made above the waist with any part of the weapon. Locally, she represents the Peter Westbrook Foundation in New York City, training at the Fencers Club on West 28th Street, where she is coached by Akhnaten Spencer-El, a 2000 Olympic fencer. Under him, she’s a tactical, cerebral fighter who caught the fencing world off guard in 2009.
She won the U.S. national title that year, cracking the top 16 world rankings. Last year, she won a bronze medal at the Pan American Championships and a coveted spot on the U.S. women’s national team.
"She’s still young in the game and she’s only going to get better," Spencer-El said.
Back to the strip. She goes against a member of the U.S. men's national team, then her teammate, Dagmara Wozniak of Avenel. You can hear the constant ping of saber blades colliding. Everyone has cat-like footwork that is lickety-split quick, calculating and aggressive. They duel back and forth trying to outsmart each other, snapping their weapons at the wrist to score. The long electrical wires attached to the edge of their fencing jackets register hits. All of them look like puppets dancing on a string, lunging toward each other and their their shot at gold.
Getting to Italy isn’t easy. Each country is allowed two spots for women’s sabre and Muhammad and her teammates are the top four fencers in the U.S. The best of them is two-time Olympian Mariel Zagunis of Oregon, and she’s number one in the world.
Muhammad is unfazed. She trains daily, except for Sunday, running in the morning before conditioning at a women’s gym. In the evening, she’s in New York City fencing for four hours.
"I just keep going," she said. "I don’t want to get to a competition and lose a bout, because I didn’t work out that extra hour."
You can see she’s super-competitive, hating to lose, constantly critiquing herself. She’s all business for this once in lifetime shot, but Muhammad does pause for what’s important.
The third of five siblings in an athletic family, Muhammad finds strength in her faith. In August, she stayed focused through Ramadan, the annual Islamic month of fasting during the day. But Muhammad wants no sympathy, saying her sacrifices are not unlike anybody else’s. She kept hyrdrated, waking up every 90 minutes at night to eat and drink. If she makes the team, Muhammad will be used to the regimen since Ramadan next year falls during the Olympic competition.
It doesn’t matter at this point. Muhammad has come a long way in a career that started when she was a high school freshman. She stumbled on the sport driving past Columbia High School with her mother, who could see the team practicing through the large cafeteria windows. Inayah Muhammad didn’t know what they were doing but thought her daughter should try it because the uniform would cover her body and that was suitable to Islam’s tenet of modesty for women.
"I had know idea it (fencing) would take us this far,’’ said her mom, a Newark schoolteacher. "She’s so in love with the sport. I don’t think she really understands how good she is.’’
Muhummad was an epee fencer with Columbia until her former coach, Frank Mustilli, saw she was a better fit for sabre’s combative vein. At practice one day, Mustilli said his mild mannered athlete got upset after she got hit hard and lashed out.
"She showed me a little bit of fire. She screamed and attacked,’’ said Mustilli, head of the New Jersey Fencing Alliance.
At Columbia, Muhammad also played softball and volleyball but was captain of two state championship fencing teams before going to Duke University. She became a three-time NCAA All-American, earning dual degrees in International Relations and African-American studies with a minor in Arabic.
After graduation in 2007, her father, Shamsiddin Muhammad, said his daughter’s passion for fencing did not wane. The family supports her financially and she chipped in what she could last year as a substitute teacher at Shabazz High School in Newark and fencing coach at Columbia.
"I know this is her dream and inspiration,’’ said her dad, a retired Newark cop. "We believe that what is written is going to happen.’’
That belief helps her deal with distractions on this journey. At times she’s wondered if her race or religion played a role in a judge scoring unfairly. When traveling, she has been treated as a foreigner who can’t speak English, and worse, she feels the stares that say terrorist.
In Belgium this year, security officials told her to leave the airport unless she removed her hijab. Muhammad would not. Her mother interceded and there was a compromise to have her head patted down. Muhammad said it’s frustrating making others comfortable, but she’s not going to let "closeted views" derail her purpose.
"If God wants me to succeed, no one can take it from me,’’ she said. "That’s the way I approach it and I think that’s what keeps me sane and grounded in this sport.’’
Source: http://blog.nj.com/njv_barry_carter/2011/10/carter_maplewood_woman_could_b.html

Fencer With Headscarf Is a Cut Above the Rest

Associated Press

When Ibtijhaj was 13, her mother drove past the local high school and saw fencers in the cafeteria who were covered from head to toe. Her mother turned to her and said, "I don't know what that is, but when you get to high school, you're doing it."

But when she wears a hijab in a sporting arena, it often has the opposite effect. The New Jersey native is currently ranked 11th in the world in women's sabre, a discipline of fencing. Only one American ranks higher: Mariel Zagunis, the two-time Olympic and world champion. Both women will compete this weekend at a World Cup fencing event at the New York Athletic Club to earn points toward qualifying for the 2012 London Olympics.

The International Olympic Committee and the U.S. Olympic Committee do not track athletes' religion, but if Muhammad makes the Olympic team, she would likely be the first practicing Muslim woman to represent the U.S. at the Games.

"You feel the pride. Muslim women are struggling around the world. She's not on the front lines but when she stands up there, she's making her mark for them, for freedom, to have their voices heard."

When she competes, photographers often zoom in on the name Muhammad on the back of her fencing jacket. Her mother, Denise, recently saw such a photo and said, "I realized: my God, she's representing all of us.

To make the ultra-selective squad—a maximum of two women per country will compete in sabre in London—Muhammad has been training 30 hours per week at the Fencers Club on West 28th Street in Manhattan and another three to four hours a week with a conditioning coach near her home In Maplewood, N.J.

"I'm one of these people with tunnel vision," said Muhammad, 25. "I'm convinced that I can do anything with enough practice and enough work."

Wall Street Journal

Playing sports was a given for the third of five children growing up in an athletic household, but Muhammad always wore long clothing under her volleyball and softball uniforms to conform with Islam's emphasis on modesty.

Then, one day at practice, "Out of this mild young lady came a roar," said her Columbia High School fencing coach, Frank Mustilli. "She got hit, got mad, and under that calm façade was a very aggressive individual."

At 16, she dropped epée for the lightning-quick sabre discipline, which targets everything above the waist (except hands) and allows scoring with the edge of the blade as well as the tip.

As team captain, Muhammad helped her high school win two New Jersey state team titles. Later, her youngest sister, Faizah, became a two-time state individual champion in sabre. (Faizah, 19, will also compete at the New York World Cup.)

At Duke University, Muhammad was a three-time All-America and graduated in 2007 with a double major in international relations and African-American studies (and a minor in Arabic).

Two years later, she began to work with the 2000 U.S. Olympian Akhi Spencer-El in Manhattan.

"It completely changed my fencing," she said. "This is the first time I've ever been taught to fence tactically."

In 2009, Muhammad won the U.S. national title. A year later, she made her first quarterfinal at a World Cup event (losing to Zagunis, 15-8, in Brooklyn, N.Y.). And in November 2010, Muhammad finished 14th in her world championship debut in Paris. All the while, observing her Muslim faith.

Wall Street Journal

Every day, Muhammad prays five times. The fourth prayer, Maghrib, usually coincides with training so she will say it at home later, or pray in a utility room.

Last year, during the holy month of Ramadan when eating and drinking are prohibited from sun-up to sundown, Muhammad woke up at 90-minute intervals in the middle of the night to hydrate during a high-altitude training camp in Colorado Springs. (In 2012, the entire London Olympics will occur within Ramadan.)

But what bothers Muhammad's mother most is the fencing etiquette that entails shaking hands with male referees and seeing her daughter travel without a male guardian.

At airports, fencers are always scrutinized because they carry on bulbous facemasks, metallic jackets and electrical wires. A hijab adds to the questioning. In Belgium this month, Muhammad was told to leave the airport if she did not remove her headscarf.

Her father Eugene, a retired cop, taught her, "The more you [protest], the more you have to take off." Diplomacy eventually prevailed. Usually, Muhammad speaks her mind. She used to be an emotional fencer. Now she is more controlled, but retains her trademark feistiness.

"On the strip, she'll fight for every single touch and not budge," Zagunis said.

But ultimately the referee decides who scored the first touch and, early on, Muhammad sometimes wondered if her minority status affected the outcome of her matches. If so, she figured it had more to do with being African-American than Muslim.

"I have a hard time imagining someone would treat me different based on my faith," she said. "So when I come across anyone being rude to me or anything of that nature, I attribute it to race. I guess that's my first instinct."

Six-time Olympian Peter Westbrook told her, "You cannot allow 'because I'm Muslim' or 'because I'm black' into play in fencing. The minute you put those in, you've lost."

"I have to remember my purpose," she said.

Very few Muslim women have earned Olympic medals since Nawal El Moutawakel of Morocco ran to victory in the 400-meter hurdles in 1984 wearing shorts and a tank top. Muhammad hopes to add to that in hijab.

"I'd love for other minority women and religious minorities [in the U.S.] to believe they can excel in something outside the norm—not just sports, anything where they're breaking the barrier," she said, "and not be deterred by what the image is just because they fall outside that box."

Source: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304569504576404011992467534.html?mod=googlenews_wsj