African-American In Hijab A Fencing Standout
Follow
By DERON SNYDER
After the USA won a gold medal last month in women’s team fencing at the Pan American games, there was little chance of mistaking which one on the podium was Ibtihaj Muhammad.
She was the one on the left, next to the two blondes.
Muhammad is accustomed to sticking out in a sport that’s dominated largely in the United States by Caucasian athletes. From her brown skin to her traditional Muslim headscarf to her uniform with “Muhammad” across the back, the 25-year-old New Jersey native is impossible to miss.
And if she’s good enough, she’ll be even more noticeable next year in London at the Olympics. The U.S. Olympic Committee doesn’t track athletes according to religion, but fencing officials believe Muhammad would be the first practicing Muslim woman to represent the U.S.
