WASHINGTON - The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) Thursday applauded a decision by the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) to modify its policy on competitor apparel to allow modest attire for Muslim women. The IWF policy change, which now allows a full-body unitard under the compulsory weightlifting attire, came following intervention by CAIR in the case of a Pakistani-American weightlifter Kulsoom Abdullah, who wishes to compete while covering her hair, arms and legs. Last week, CAIR said in a press release that it offered the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) draft language for a policy change on Islamic attire for consideration by the IWF during its ongoing meeting in Malaysia. The USOC agreed to ask the IWF's technical committee to review a policy preventing the Atlanta-based 35-year-old Muslim athlete, Ms. Abdullah from competing in the USA Weightlifting Senior Nationals to be held this July in Council Bluffs, Iowa. In a statement released Wednesday in Malaysia announcing the change, IWF President Dr. Tamas Ajan said: "Weightlifting is an Olympic Sport open for all athletes to participate without discrimination on the basis of race, colour, religion, sex, age, or national origin in accordance with the principles of the Olympic Charter and values.