Women will be allowed to wear hijabs at an upcoming competition in Quebec City, the International Taekwondo Federation says.

Nevertheless, the Quebec federation, which operates under a different governing body, says it will maintain its ban.

About 700 competitors from more than 60 countries, including Iran and Syria, will be taking part in the World Taekwondo Championships beginning May 31.

Federation president Tran Trieu Quan says the authorization is a temporary one because an ad hoc committee will take a closer look at the political and social aspects of allowing the Muslim headcovering to be worn during competition.

The larger World Taekwondo Federation was at the centre of a recent controversy when a team of Muslim girls withdrew from a Montreal-area tournament when they were barred from competing in their hijabs.

After the international federation released its decision, Jean Faucher, the president of the Quebec Federation of Taekwondo, said in a statement that the directive doesn't affect the Quebec federation, because most clubs in Quebec operate under the World Taekwondo Federation.

"It doesn't change our position because it's not the same federation," he said. "It's not the same rules."

Unlike the world federation, which bans any item on the head other than the required head protector, the international federation has no rule prohibiting hijabs.

Under international federation rules, competitors are not required to wear a head protector at all, as they are in the world federation, although some jurisdictions, including Quebec, do require them for junior level competitions.

The two organizations practise slightly different styles of taekwondo. The world federation version includes full contact sparring and relies more heavily on kicking, while the international federation uses light contact sparring and favours hand movements.

The world federation is the sport's largest organization and the one recognized by the International Olympic Committee. It is headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, and oversees world and Olympic taekwondo competitions.

In Quebec, the world federation has about 8,000 members, versus about 3,000 for the international federation.

The Quebec branch of the World Taekwondo Federation, which is recognized by the International Olympic Committee, is asking its governing body to review the rule prohibiting hijabs during competition.