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Once in a while, we get occasional reminders of the goodness of humankind. No matter how cynical or jaded one can be, these shining examples of humanity are enough to warm our hearts and perhaps even bring tears to our eyes. The world might be troubled, but everywhere we can always find incidents of human kindness, and sometimes in the most unexpected of places. These incidents make us want to believe and have faith in our fellow man.
Such an incident happened when the Arab Orthodox Club competed against the Shabab al-Ordon Club in a game from the 2018 WAFF Women’s Club Championship in Jordan. In a footage showing the specific game, the two teams can be seen giving it their all to gain control of the ball. At one point, players from one team starts to take possession of the ball when one player from the other team stops in her tracks as she finds out that her hijab has gotten loose and strands of her hair are peeking out.
What happens next is a pure, shining example of what humans are capable of doing when they allow love, respect, and tolerance to come first ahead of any social, cultural, and religious differences.
When they realized what had happened, the members of the opposing team quickly gathered around the player with the loose hijab and covered her so she could fix it in privacy. Their action halted the game for several seconds, but those seconds were enough to the set the Internet on fire as the said footage went viral and attracted lots of positive comments, which all praised the players’ considerate and respectful actions toward someone who was their rival.
Comments from all over the world started pouring in, and some of them from notable personalities. Glennon Doyle, the spouse of former US football player Abby Wamback, said in a tweet referencing the tweet, “This is our mood today. When one of us needs us, we stop. We huddle up. We protect each other.”
The sports network ESPN has also shared a short but succinct comment about the incident, saying in their tweet, “Bigger than sports.”
Other commenters were equally moved by the footage, with one of them saying in another tweet, “What I love most is that they knew what needed to be done. Not only did they respect their opponent enough to help her our, they so respected a culture different from their own that they recognized immediately the importance of providing cover. Bravo!”
A fellow hijab-wearing netizen also put in her two cents, commenting, “As a woman that chooses to wear a hijab, the comments on this page are giving me happy tears…Spread the light and love, ladies!”
There had formerly been a ban on wearing hijabs in a game, but in 2014, FIFA overturned that ban. The first ever match played by female football players wearing hijabs took place in October 2016 at the Under-17 Women’s World Cup that took place in Amman, Jordan.
Watch the video below
