Hijab not banned in competitive sports in France

 

 

A proposal to ban symbols such as the hijab in competitive sports was rejected by the French National Assembly. The party of President Emmanuel Macron did not support the proposal. There is an election for the President of France in April 2022. French Gender Equality Minister Elisabeth Moreno has supported Muslim women football players on the hijab. The reference to this support is the 'French Football Federation', the governing body associated with football in France. associated with a decision of According to this, during the playing of the match, players cannot wear anything that shows their religious identity. These include the hijab worn by Muslim women and the special cap 'Kippa' worn by Jewish people. are also included. Players wearing hijab are protesting French Muslim football players are opposing this ban. There is an organization associated with them, Le Hijabus. This is an organization of women football players of France, who are unable to play matches due to wearing hijab. In November 2021, this organization legally challenged the ban of the French Football Federation. The organization argues that this ban is discriminatory.

At the same time, it also interferes with their right to practice religion. 'Le Hijabus' On 9 February, the French wanted to hold a protest in front of the parliament in support of their demands. But the administration did not allow it due to security reasons. "We just want to play football. We're not supporters of the hijab, we're just football fans," Funn Zawaha, one of the founders of the organization, said in an interview to AFP news agency in January 2022. Disagreements among the parties There are two months left in the French presidential election. This issue remains a matter of discussion amid the election environment. The laws related to secularism in France are very strict. Here the division between both religion and government is quite clear. The French Senate is dominated by the right-wing Republican Party. In January 2022, the party brought a proposal for a law. In this, it was proposed to ban such symbols in all competitive sports, which reveal one's religious identity. The 'National Assembly', the lower house of Parliament, on 9 February. In this proposal was rejected.

 

Here's President Emmanuel Macron's 'Republic on the Move Party' And its allies are in the majority. Commenting on this on 10 February, Minister Elizabeth Moreno told LCI television, "The law says that these women can play football wearing a hijab. At present there is no restriction on wearing a hijab on football fields. I want that. The law must be respected," Moreno added, "Women in public places can dress as they please. My struggle is to protect those who are forced to veil" What does French law say about French secularism? The linked law guarantees religious freedom to every citizen. In this, there is no restriction on the wearing of religious symbols of people in public places. The one exception is the complete covering of the face. France was the first country in Europe to ban wearing a mask outside the home in 2011. Employees of government institutions are also prohibited from displaying their religion. This restriction is also applicable to school children. Many right-wing leaders of France also want to ban the hijab. They believe that the hijab is a political expression given in support of Islamism.