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SXSW Apologizes After Worker Orders Olympic Fencer to Remove Her Hijab For ID Photo.

Ibtihaj Muhammad


Ibtihaj Muhammad, a member of the USA Fencing World Team, got quite an unpleasant surprise when she arrived at SXSW over the weekend. When the star athlete attempted to check-in and have her picture taken for her ID badge, a volunteer with the organization demanded that she remove her hijab.

Muhammad, who was set to appear in a panel called Sports As Currency Of American Life, was taken aback by the request, and shared the incident with her followers on social media.


Eventually she was allowed to take her picture and was issued an ID, but, but unfortunately it turned out to be the wrong one.


SXSW has since issued an apology for the incident, saying, “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 made it to her panel and even shared the frustrating experience at check-in with the audience.

“I had a crappy experience checking in,” she said. “Someone asking me to remove my hijab isn’t out of the norm for me. […] Do I hope it changes soon? Yes, every day.”

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