 Woman demands immediate changes to rec center, owner responds. A Colorado woman was not happy with her local rec center, so she demanded immediate changes. The owner, however, had the perfect response to those demands. Sabah Ali, a Muslim woman from Colorado, was denied the ability to swim in the public pool at her local recreation center in Commerce City because she wanted to do so while wearing a long Islamic dress over a shirt and pants. When staff at the pool saw her attire, Ali was told she would not be allowed to swim since her clothes, which conformed to her religious beliefs, didn't fall in line with pool rules. According to Ali, when she took her family to swim at the Commerce City Recreation Center on a Sunday afternoon, she was denied access to the pool even though she claims that she asked if she could instead wear just her shirt and pants and remove the dress, but rec center employees pointed to pool rules stating specified swimming attire only. Sabah Ali shows an ABC reporter the attire she was wearing at the pool. And that I had clothes on underneath, Ali recalled, according to ABC7. But they said if they let me, everyone would ask, why did you let them and not us? After Ali's request was also denied, she went public, adamant that you shouldn't have to be half-naked to swim. The local recreation center that turned Ali away happens to be owned by the city, and a Commerce City spokesperson had a response to the woman's demands. Quite simply, she again pointed to the pool rules which are in place to protect the public and said that the rules, not allowing street clothes, are best practices for public health and safety. The city says it's not discrimination, but rather, it's the rules. Furthermore, the rules are not discriminatory, but rather, they are equally enforced. Sabah Ali, however, says she still views this as an issue of religious discrimination, and civil rights attorney Quasar Mohammed Bayh agrees. However, the city is standing firm, adamant that the regulations are in place for a reason and that others, who are not of the Islamic faith, have been turned away under the same rules. The city routinely turns away people who don't have appropriate swimwear, jean shorts, sports shorts, not wearing swim diapers, said Commerce City spokesperson Michelle Halstead. We turn all those individuals away because the number one focus for us is safety. Ali's own case proves this to be true since she was still turned away when she offered to take off the Islamic dress and wear a shirt and pants that were underneath instead. Commerce City spokesperson Michelle Halstead spoke to reporters at the rec center pool. Why do I have to be half naked to swim, accused Ali, who later rented a hotel room so that she could swim with her children in a private pool, according to the Daily Mail? To enjoy time with my kids. I want to have the same rights as every citizen, she added, even though the rules are equally enforced. However, she seems to have missed something else as well. The brochure makes it clear that the problem is street clothes rather than swimwear that is the issue and not Islamic attire. Commerce City spokesperson Michelle Halstead explained that outside clothing can increase the chances of contaminating the water and spreading waterborne illnesses. In her response to the accusations of discrimination, Halstead pointed out that full body swimsuits, which would include an Islamic Birkenai, are allowed in the pool. In other words, no one was forcing anyone to swim half naked. Although one would think that the full body swimsuits would be an option for Saba Ali and anyone else who doesn't want to swim half naked, the Muslim woman continues to claim that she was discriminated against because of her Islamic dress, ignoring the fact that the Islamic Birkenai, a loose-fitting full body swimsuit with a hood made for Islamic women, is actually allowed. Still, civil rights attorney Quesar Mohammed Bay said the policies of public places should be modified to ensure that Muslims feel included. As a result of Saba Ali coming forward, the city decided to update its swimwear brochure so that full body swimsuits or Birkenis are included in its list of acceptable swimming attire while still pointing out that street clothes, including full Islamic dress, are not appropriate for the pool.