Amnesty International is calling on French lawmakers to reject a proposed law that would prohibit the wearing of headscarves in all sporting events.
The proposal, supported by right-wing senators, is set to be discussed beginning Tuesday in the upper house of the French parliament. Its objective is to outlaw any clothing or symbols deemed “ostensibly religious” during competitions, a move that Amnesty International deems discriminatory.
This legislation is poised to reignite ongoing discussions surrounding secularism in France, a topic that remains contentious even over a century after the 1905 law was enacted to separate church and state in the nation.
So far, sports federations have been allowed to independently determine their policies regarding headscarves, but two of the leading sports in the country, soccer and rugby, have decided to enforce bans.
The bill is still at an early phase, and the upcoming vote signifies the start of a lengthy legislative journey with an unpredictable conclusion. Should senators vote positively, the bill’s fate still hangs in the balance as the final decision lies with the lower house.
For the bill to be actualized, it would need an unlikely coalition in the deeply divided lower house, where collaboration between opposing factions is rare.
Amnesty International’s plea comes in the wake of a recent incident involving French sprinter Sounkamba Sylla, who reported that she was prohibited from participating in the opening ceremony at the Paris Olympics due to her hijab. Eventually, she was permitted to compete, albeit while wearing a cap to conceal her hair.
The concept of “laïcité,” often interpreted as “secularism,” is firmly upheld in France. During the Olympic Games, the president of the French Olympic Committee reiterated that competitors must adhere to the secular principles applicable to public sector workers, which includes a prohibition on hijabs and other religious symbols.
Anna B?u?, an Amnesty International researcher focusing on gender justice, criticized this approach. She stated that the ban on hijabs for women athletes in France during the Paris Olympics sparked international outrage, and now, only months later, authorities seem intent on further extending this discriminatory practice to all sports.
The decision of the French soccer and basketball federations to exclude athletes wearing hijabs has drawn criticism from experts appointed by the UN Human Rights Council, alongside the French government’s refusal to allow athletes in modest attire to represent the nation at the Games.
Amnesty International argues that this bill specifically targets Muslim women and girls, effectively shutting them out of sports competitions if they choose to wear a headscarf or any religious attire.
It has been noted that while “laïcité” is theoretically established in the French constitution to safeguard religious freedoms, it has often been used to limit the access of Muslim women to public spaces.
The organization states that over several years, French authorities have implemented laws and policies that regulate the clothing of Muslim women and girls in discriminatory ways, and that various sports federations have followed suit by enforcing hijab bans.
Two years ago, France’s highest administrative court upheld the right of the country’s soccer federation to impose a headscarf ban in competitions, even acknowledging that it might infringe on freedom of expression.
The strict adherence to religious neutrality defined in the constitution complicates the scenario for international athletes as well, especially those who observe fasting from dawn until dusk during Ramadan.
Proponents of the bill point to an increase in perceived threats to secularism in sports, arguing that the fundamental concepts should promote universality. They believe that to protect sports environments from non-sporting disputes, a policy of neutrality must be maintained to prevent any political, religious, or racial demonstration.
Additionally, the law stipulates that utilizing part of a sports facility for worship constitutes a misuse of its intended function, and it bans religious clothing, such as the burkini, from public swimming pools.
Amnesty International warns that if the bill passes, labeling the wearing of a headscarf as part of a spectrum of “attacks on secularism” could incite racism and enhance the increasingly hostile atmosphere towards Muslims and those perceived as such in France.
French officials consider prohibiting headscarves in sports; Amnesty International claims it’s a form of discrimination.
