Muslim women and sport: obstacles and perspectives in socio-political contexts

This chapter highlights some issues related to Muslim women and sport, and how political transition towards populist and conservative positions affects their involvement in physical activity, both in Islamic and Western countries. The level of academic interest in the participation of Muslim women in sport has increased in recent years, giving rise to questions and implications that go beyond the context of sports practice, addressing issues such as gender identity and the role of Muslim women in society. In doing so, interpretations of the phenomenon of sport by Muslim scholars of Islamic law are discussed in this chapter. The second part presents an insight into the difficulties that Muslim women usually face in their countries, due to the patriarchal system and the advancement of political movements calling for a return to traditional Islam, which also have an impact on sport participation, with particular attention paid to Turkey and some MENA (Middle East and North Africa) nations. Finally, the chapter explores how the growth of populist and xenophobic movements has negative consequences for the participation of Muslim women in sport. Indeed, any woman who seeks to practice sport and adhere to the Islamic prescription is perceived by some of the public as a threat to Western identity, fostered by far-right parties and populist political leaders fighting the so-called islamisation of society.