FINA has posted an “advisory” for dress at the 2014 FINA World Short Course Championships. They pointedly advised extra care during the Holy Month of Ramadan, that just finished.
Specifically, FINA says that while “women are not obliged to cover their hair,” that “it is not appropriate to show too much skin in other public areas.”
They did specify that these guidelines don’t apply to “hotel beaches”. Presumably, the restrictions will not extend to the aquatic facilities either.
Qatar, while maintaining close ties to the United States, is a country that is predominantly Muslim, and one of the most conservative countries in the world.
The release by FINA, written in mid-June, is part of a larger campaign within Qatar as they are due to host more-and-more tourists in the coming years, including a future soccer World Cup. The campaign is built around “Reflect Your Respect.”
The FINA release is below:
Men and women should dress modestly as a courtesy to both Qataris and Muslims. Swimsuits and beachwear are acceptable at the hotel beaches (don’t forget sunscreen), but it is not appropriate to show too much skin in other public areas. Tops should cover the shoulders and upper arms, and skirts or shorts should fall to or below the knee. Women are not obliged to cover their hair. Visitors should be thoughtful of their clothing particularly in the Holy Month of Ramadan.
The extreme heat and high humidity of summertime means light-weight fibres are advisable (clothes made from ‘wicking’ – high techpolyester – material are invaluable); covering up susceptible parts of your body whilst outside they will also prevent sunburn. However a jumper or wrap may be needed inside malls, cinemas and restaurants, as the air conditioning can be fierce. Wintertime can be chilly, especially in the evenings, and there is also a chance of rain, so coats and closed shoes will be useful.
First, let me say that I misspoke re USA Swimming and did not intend to side with a boycot by The US. On the other hand, I think FINA should not have awarded this event to Qatar , if that is what happened. There is little that can change the direction of a country’s views (terrorism, misogyny) but as we do with Russia and other countries, sanctions/boycotts can have an effect on behavior, at least they have in the past. I hope no one wants to argue moral equivalency between our two countries.
Absolutely one should behave appropriately in someone else’s country, but I do agree that this request is aimed at women.
By the way I’m not… Read more »
i think this makes total sense and good for FINA for reminding people of a strong cultural nuance to make sure everyone has the best time.
guess what, sometimes when you go to other people’s houses for dinner you follow their rules too (take off your shoes, listen to this music, eat the dish i made this way, etc.).
having respect for the ways other people do things is a GOOD thing…
Being rude, boycotting, or making Qataris feel disrespected won’t do anything to bring them toward Western values.
I am not interested in having a brawl over politics here – though if you want one, let me know and I will gladly duke it out on a site meant for something other than sporting news. That said (and perhaps in contradiction to what I’ve said):
1) Qatar isn’t just hot – it is crazy hot. Today was 111 F and it gets hotter. Having lived in a climate that gets that hot, at some point you either need an umbrella or something breathable that covers your skin. 1 hour in short-shorts in a location like this would leave most people badly burned, even with a high level of spf. There is a reason the Berbers and others wear… Read more »
It is just common courtesy to show a level of respect for local culture – keep politics and sport separate or we will be back to an era of reciprocal boycotts which just hurts the athletes. They aren’t asking the swimmers to wear Burqas, just be respectful like you’d be if appearing at a family event or general audience TV show and dress in a manner that respects their cultural norms – it took the US over 200 years to get rid of slavery, longer than that to give women the vote, longer than that to outlaw racial discrimination, and we’re still evolving to end other prejudices – so give the locals a break and respect their culture – they’ve… Read more »
When Qatar starts respecting rights of emigrant workers, I will start respecting their culture. Right now I have zero respect after what I read how they treat emigrant workers that work there. I spent a lot of time in Asia and the way Thai, Burma, or Indonesia workers are treated in some countries (Taiwan, Malaysia, etc) is as close to concentration camps as you can get in this “modern” age.
I have traveled to the middle east many times and believe me, if you go out shopping dressed inappropriately one time you will never do it again You will feel very uncomfortable. Best to do as thier customs dictates.Remember. You are are a guest regardless of how you feel about the country.If you cant ab ideor you are that opposed to the politics, you have the choice to stay home..Oh and the food is awesome!
So we are to be respectful of their culture when the Jews are fighting to stay alive? This is a country that supports genocide to the Jews. Why is USA Swim even there?
I can only say that your comment is ignorant at best.
I wonder who are those thousands babies women and children get killed everyday in Gaza.
Well known that Hamas uses their babies and mothers as human shields. Make for good PR when Israel defends itself.
One again, I don’t understand why we are using Qatar as a venue when they are the mothership for the funding of terrorism.
Carolyn, as a fellow Jew, I will tell you that this forum is not the time or the place for such a discussion. This is about respecting Qatari customs while there, nothing more, nothing less, regardless of whether they may seem misogynistic.
FINA has shown that they are not the sharpest tool in the shed, but remember, there are world class, FINA sponsored events in Israel (though the Eilat swim was cancelled for “security and safety” reasons). I think FINA is just trying to spread the idea of “encouraging swimming” to the rest of the world; I highly doubt they are making a political statement or engaging in anti semitism.
Two observations here: (1) I am generally down with the idea of multiculturalism and respecting another’s culture. But I think there is a distinction to be made when someone invites you to their home, and in that case I think they have an equal responsibility to respect who you are and that you may not make the same choices they make. If I don’t want someone to come to my house and be who they are, then I don’t invite them. Qatar invited these championships. Let’s remember that. (2) I’ll be surprised if, once this is over, someone tells me the pressure to respect this dress code is equally placed on the men as it will be on the women.… Read more »