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Greater sensitivity needed | January 20, 2008

Juashaunna Kelly, the District of Columbia's fastest woman, high-schooler in the mile and two-mile was barred from competition in Montgomery Invitational indoor track and field meet after officials said her Muslim clothing violated national competition rules. Meet director Tom Rogers said Kelly's uniform violated rules of the National Federation of State High School Associations.

Read the entire article here.

Unfortunate and provocative decisions such as these must be avoided at all costs.

Mistakes such as this are a wake up call begging for more complete and far-ranging interreligious guidance and education especially for all people who occupy positions of influence, even influence in such public arenas of sports and other high profile cultural activities, AND people whose decisions impact young people.

Exemplary young people like Juashaunna Kelly, who not only excel in their endeavors, but furthermore manifest a proud devotion to spiritual and moral life should be upheld and encouraged, and never anything so unconscionable as being publicly diminished or obstructed by blind and foolish decisions, like that of meet director Tom Rogers.

Frank Kaufmann

We of the IRFWP apologize to be so late to publish this response from Ms. Barbara Rogers
Phone Number: 240-505-6144
Email: [email protected]

Which was sent to IRFWP following my editorial censuring the decision to bar Ms. Juashaunna Kelly from competing in a DC track and field tournament.

Here below Ms. Rogers defends the decision of the officials, and includes a link to an article published to explain the decision from a different perspective.

Frank Kaufmann
Director, IRFWP

ATTN: FRANK KAUFMAN
During the weeks following the January 12 Montgomery Invitational Indoor Track Championships in Largo, Maryland, there were articles relating to the supposed disqualification of a Muslim athlete being posted on both the major and local news media sources as well as on numerous blog sites. These articles, released through the AP by the Washington Post, were full of inconsistencies and inaccuracies and fueled a firestorm of religious discrimination debates, resulting in threats and volumes of hate mail directed at the meet director and officials.In this January 30 newspaper article, the track officials have finally been allowed to tell their side of the story. I hope you will post this so that they too will have a chance to be heard. Thank you. http://www.gazette.net/stories/013008/montnew64001_32378.shtml

Posted by admin at January 20, 2008 10:01 AM


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