SXSW apologizes after ordering U.S. Olympic fencer to remove hijab

Ibtihaj Muhammad, who is poised to be the first U.S. Olympian to wear a hijab, said she was told to remove her headscarf for a security photo at the  South by Southwest festival on Saturday and then was given a credential with an incorrect name.

Muhammad, who wears the hijab for religious purposes and has become a prominent U.S. athlete with sponsors such as Visa and American Airlines, tweeted the incident in disdain as she was forced to remove it.

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) 12 березня 2016 р.

The incident does not look good for SXSW, which prides itself on being an annual cultural showpiece in Austin, Texas. SXSW said in a public statement: "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.”

Muhammad, 30, is ranked No. 7 in the world and second in the U.S. in saber, according to the USA Fencing website.

According to the Chicago Tribune, after the check-in incident, she was on a panel called "The New Church: Sport as Currency of American Life." She told the audience, the Tribune reported: ""I had a crappy experience checking in. Someone asking me to remove my hijab isn't out of the norm for me. … Do I hope it changes soon? Yes, every day."

The Tribune also reported that she said of sponsors who might object to her speaking out: "If a sponsor wants to walk away … they weren't meant for me anyway."

Source: USA