Comparative Sharia Law in Iran and Nigeria: Effects on Athletes and Recommendations for Sports Governing Bodies to Increase Access for Muslim Women and Girls

Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world and is projected to surpass Christianity as the most widely practiced faith within the coming decades. Despite Islam’s presence as the majority religion in nearly one quarter of the world’s nations, misconceptions persist in Western discourse regarding Islamic law and its treatment of women, particularly in the context of sport. Highly visible restrictions imposed on female athletes in certain Muslim majority countries have fueled the perception that Islam uniformly limits women’s participation in athletics. This perception, however, overlooks the significant variation in how sharia law is interpreted, implemented, and enforced across national legal systems. This paper examines the effects of sharia law on women athletes through a comparative analysis of Iran and Nigeria, two Muslim majority nations that exemplify distinct approaches to Islamic law within domestic governance. Iran operates under a classical Islamic legal system in which sharia law governs nearly all aspects of public and private life, resulting in centralized and often severe restrictions on women’s participation as athletes, coaches, and spectators. Nigeria, by contrast, employs a mixed legal system in which sharia law applies regionally and only to Muslims, producing a fragmented landscape in which access to sport for women varies widely by state and locality. While some Nigerian women experience relative freedom to participate in sport, others face restrictions that rival those imposed under Iran’s national laws. By situating these legal regimes within their historical, religious, and political contexts, including the Sunni-Shia divide, colonial legacies, and modern constitutional structures, this paper demonstrates that limitations on women’s participation in sport are not inherent to Islam itself but instead reflect specific legal and political choices. The paper further explores how international sports governing bodies influence access for Muslim women through eligibility rules, dress regulations, event hosting decisions, and public messaging, particularly amid growing concerns over Islamophobia and accusations of sportswashing. Ultimately, this paper argues that international sports governing bodies must adopt proactive and culturally informed policies that accommodate religious observance while expanding meaningful access to sport for Muslim women and girls. Through engagement rather than exclusion, sports institutions can promote gender equity, protect athlete autonomy, and strengthen sport’s role as a tool for inclusion in an increasingly diverse global community.