Canada Kids Soccer Association Pays Big Price After Refusing to Overturn Ban on Turban-Wearing

There’s a religious battle brewing in Canada following the Quebec Soccer Federation’s (QSF) ban on children who wear turbans. As a result of the sports authority’s decision not to allow these kids to play the sport, the Canadian Soccer Association (CSA) has suspended the group until the ban, which it deems wrong-headed, is overturned.

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The policy, which impacts Sikhs, was publicly derided on Monday, the CBC reports. The CSA, citing apparent attempts to temper the situation prior to its suspension of the QSF, spoke out openly against the turban ban.

“The Quebec Soccer Federation’s inaction has forced us to take measures in order to ensure soccer remains accessible to the largest number of Canadians,” the sports group said in a statement. “The suspension will be lifted once the Canadian Soccer Association receives demonstration that the Quebec Soccer Federation has lifted the ban and applies satisfactorily the Canadian Soccer Association’s policy in the matter.”

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The CSA, according to the press release, attempted to rectify the situation on June 6, putting in a request for the QSF to drop the soccer regulation — but to no avail.

In the past, the QSF has cited safety concerns over the presence of turbans in children’s soccer games, however there seem to be some disagreements over the legitimacy of these worries. While CBC News notes that FIFA, the world soccer governing body, doesn’t ban turbans, it also doesn’t explicitly allow them.

For now, it seems the turban battle continues, as the ramifications of the ban could mean that children don’t get to compete in Quebec.