From perverting sexualisation to covering up their bodies, it was a revolutionary sight propounded by team Germany at the Olympics Games. They showcased a different kind of competition gear, not the sleeveless or long-sleeved leotard which has been the standard since the 1930s, but a long-legged unitard. Their outfits are, according to the German Gymnastics Federation, a statement against sexualisation in gymnastics.”The full-length legs are still skin-tight, but add a level of modesty compared to the bikini-cut leotards. It is worth noting that male gymnasts typically wear a singlet under comparatively loose, stirrup trousers.

Not just in gymnastics, but even in the volleyball team, women persistently feel discomfort with wearing just bikinis. The Norwegian beach volleyball girls wanted to play in these shorts instead of in bikini bottoms, which they found too revealing, but were threatened by the EC tournament organizer with fines if they wore anything covering more than 10cm of their butts. Isabela Fleury, Brazilian handball player and one of those who was included in the BBC’s 100 Women, was part of a Rio de Janeiro team who recently rebelled against standard beach handball bikini outfits for women, causing a media stir. Helen Jefferson Lenskyj, a retired professor from the University of Toronto specializing in critiques of the Olympic industry and gender issues in sport. “There are sports where the overt sexualisation of female bodies is really paramount — and gymnastics, beach volleyball and beach handball are among the top ones,” she said.

Now, another major fact adding to this issue is that sexual assault and abuse continues to be an issue at the Olympics. Since 1982, over 290 coaches and officials who have worked for U.S. Olympic sports organizations have been accused of sexual misconduct. One of the curious cases being Larry Nasser, a former USA Gymnastics national team doctor who sexually assaulted around hundreds of young gymnasts, including the entirety of the 2012 Olympic team and four of the five members of the 2016 team. Or the case of John Sillets, who is also accused of sexual assault on athletes. A fun fact is that women competed in the Olympic Games for the first time in 1900. Female athletes made up just over 2% of those taking part and competed in five sports, including tennis. At the time, women wore long skirts which covered their ankles and long sleeves. While the early days of the Olympics dictated that women must cover as much of their bodies as possible, as not to cause a distraction to men, the scale has since shifted to the opposite end of the spectrum, with outfits in recent years overtly sexualising women’s bodies.

With that being said, some rules and dress codes in sports are discriminatory against women, as the same scrutiny does not apply to men. The athlete’s dress code falls under the jurisdiction of the governing international body for each sport. According to the IOC charter, the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) “have the sole and exclusive authority to prescribe and determine the clothing and uniforms to be worn, and the equipment to be used by the members of their delegations on the occasion of the Olympic Games.” It is evident from all this that dress codes are dictated, to a large extent, by money and commercial interests. And the rules are made mostly by men who are in leadership positions in international federations. Moreover, with no spectators this year, the Olympics are primarily a made-for-TV event. Whereby the television spectacle is paramount and sex sells sport — or specifically, heterosexual sex sells sport.

Now, the major question is, where are the so-called “feminists” now? The so-called “prevailing” group, who proclaimed themselves as part of “progressive” womanhood, staunch advocates for women’s rights! Where are they when thousands of athletes out there are unable to expose their thoughts on dressing, where they find covering up more comfortable than sheer nakedness?!

Here, those Olympians are taking their clothing as a thread against sexualisation and are proving that properly dressing up is one of the norms of self-protection. German female gymnasts also came to the conclusion that they should not be seen/looked-at as objects of pleasure. What is it in those feminists that stops them from saying “NO” to a man’s lustful eyes??
Their “progressiveness” can only see the limelight once something is against the established moral codes of the society. They are not looking for women’s safety or well being but rather on making the women freely available for men’s pleasure. Aren’t these incidents enough to prove their hypocrisy within?!

Islam is the beautiful way of life ordained by God for humanity. God knew all the possible troubles humanity might face. One of the major sins prohibited by God in His scripture is shamelessness. Shamelessness is enough to destroy an entire community. In order to prevent such a huge downfall, certain restrictions were placed upon men and women in Islam. On top of that, they were also asked to lower their gaze.

Quran 24:31
وَقُل لِّلْمُؤْمِنَٰتِ يَغْضُضْنَ مِنْ أَبْصَٰرِهِنَّ وَيَحْفَظْنَ فُرُوجَهُنَّ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا ۖ وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَىٰ جُيُوبِهِنَّ
And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty….

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ قُل لاَِّزْوَاجِكَ وَبَنَاتِكَ وَنِسَاء الْمُوْمِنِينَ يُدْنِينَ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِن جَلَابِيبِهِنَّ ذَلِكَ أَدْنَى أَن يُعْرَفْنَ فَلَا يُوْذَيْنَ

Prophet, tell your wives, your daughters, and women believers to make their outer garments hang low over them* so as to be recognized and not insulted: God is most forgiving, most merciful. (33:59)

And in this noble Ayah He said:
وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَى جُيُوبِهِنَّ
(and to draw their (Khumur) veils all over their Juyub.
Khumur (veils) is the plural of Khimar, which means something that covers, and is what is used to cover the head. This is what is known among the people as a veil.

And that’s what we have been advocating for since ages. All these measures had to be strictly observed in order to eradicate any type of sexual exploitation.

And these opened up highly honourable relationships between men and women. If only the world knew!

Afeeha Muhammed Ali