Tolerance has never been one of FIFA's strong suit so it was no surprise that they banned women from wearing headscarves during matches. The headscarf is a staple of some cultures and mandatory for women to wear in some religions, but FIFA wasn't interested in that line of argument. It was a safety concern, at least that is what they said despite all studies to the contrary.
Finally, FIFA was woken up, though. The world football governing body moved on Thursday to allow the wearing of headscarves during matches, citing a lack of evidence that they could be a safety problem. This is otherwise known as getting hit over the head enough times that common sense finally finds its way in.
An October meeting will establish exactly what size and kind of headscarf can be worn as well as the colors acceptable depending on the jersey worn and all that good stuff, but at least FIFA is moving in the right direction now. It is a cultural staple for many people and there is absolutely zero reason to ban them. Now FIFA realizes that.