New Found Glory

Despite a prolific hoops career at the high school and collegiate levels, BILQIS ABDUL-QAADIR isn’t able to play professional basketball because of her commitment to her religion. Until FIBA changes its antiquated rules against headwear on the court, she’s finding new ways to share her spirit with the world.

- Habeeba Husain

With her NCAA career over, her professional hoop dreams on hold and her future foggy, the leading scorer in Massachusetts high school basketball history questioned a part of her identity that ’til college had made her stand out.

“It was such a contradiction. I made it this far being this Muslim basketball player, a hijabi,” says Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir. “When I finally get to where I really want to be, I can’t do it because of hijab.”

People always celebrated the Springfield native as a breathtaking Muslim ballplayer with a headscarf. From being featured in our PUNKS section in 2009 to becoming the first hijabi on an NCAA court, Abdul-Qaadir was the Muslim hooper.

But FIBA says her headscarf, the most visibly Muslim thing about her, doesn’t fly, and to this day the organization’s out-of-date rules prevent her from going pro in the overseas leagues she’d otherwise be playing in right now.

Two years ago she read the disheartening words of the now in famous Article 4.4.2 of FIBA’s Official Rules in an email from her agent: “Players shall not wear equipment (objects) that may cause injury to other players.” It later specifically forbids headgear—i.e., Abdul-Qaadir’s hijab.

“I wasn’t a Muslim hooper anymore,” she says. “I was just Muslim.”