When Ontario teams cancelled appearances at a weekend tournament in Quebec because of the suspension, FIFA had no choice but to act.
"In the end this issue will not be resolved in Quebec or even in Canada." Link
Here's what the international body said in an email;
BY EMAIL
13 June 2013
Presidents and Executive Directors
Provincial/Territorial Soccer Associations
Dear Presidents and Executive Directors,
In accordance with the directive of the Canadian Soccer Association as outlined in its 11 April 2013 memo permitting the wearing of turbans/patkas/keski (male head covers), we wish to inform you that the International Football Association Board (IFAB) and FIFA have authorized the wearing of male head covers in all areas and on all levels of the Canadian football community.
The following conditions must be met:
Be of the same colour as the jersey
Be in keeping with the professional appearance of the player’s equipment
Not be attached to the jersey
Not pose any danger to the player wearing it or any other player
For clarity, please find examples of the IFAB permitted head covers enclosed.
Thank you for your implementation of this policy and your assistance in ensuring the long term growth and development of the sport of soccer in Canada.
Warm regards,
Peter Montopoli
General Secretary
Prompting the CSA to issue this:
The affirmation by FIFA is a stunning setback not only to the Quebec Soccer Association, but the PQ as well, which hitched its sovereigntist governance star to the issue and which encouraged the FSQ to maintain their position in the face of the Canadian Soccer Association's suspension.
It would have been the perfect political gambit, the Quebec public and the Quebec press lined up massively in support of the anti-turban ban.
Just yesterday, Richard Martineau of Le Journal de Montreal said this, which is pretty representative of views the French press had on the issue;
"How do you arrive at a solution to satisfy everyone in such a case? You have two parties who do not speak the same language! Two clans who do not live on the same planet! So at a certain moment, somebody must decide.
Canada sees things one way, we another. Every people draws the lines according to its values.The Canadian solution is neither worse nor better than ours.And ours, neither better nor worse than their own." Link
I can only comment that Mr. Martineau should rework his article and exchange this line;
"Canada sees things one way, we another."
for this line;
"The world sees things one way, we another."
For the PQ, it will be hard to explain that their position is utterly rejected by the world body and most importantly, it will be hard to explain to its own constituency how the world sees things one way and they the other.
The worst of it all is that the Canadian Soccer Association triumphed and the Quebec Soccer federation whipped rather painfully.
It is a cold and distasteful dish of humble pie.....
Look for a quiet and subdued reaction by the losers, with the PQ downplaying the disaster as a 'soccer issue' and nothing else.
Remember, yesterday it was an issue to sovereigntist governance, with the PQ pushing the FSQ to maintain its position even in the face of the suspension.
Today, for the PQ its time to move on to the next chicane.
In a hilarious and galling example of Quebec spin and effrontery, the FSQ greeted the news by saying it was happy that FIFA had finally settled the issue.
And by the way, since the French media was also invested in the anti-turban position, look for a united effort to sweep this humiliating affair under the 'carpette.'
