Rights groups have accused France of ‘discriminatory hypocrisy’ for its refusal to allow its athletes to wear the hijab during their participation at the Paris Olympics, which are due to get underway in ten days’ time.
Amnesty International, along with ten other organisations, said that the ban prevented athletes ‘from exercising their human right to play sport without discrimination of any kind.’
Amnesty had earlier appealed to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), along with ten other groups, asking the body to intervene to reverse the French ban.
The IOC responded that overturning the policy was beyond its remit, explaining that ‘freedom of religion is interpreted in many different ways by different states.’
The IOC, which oversees the Olympics, had earlier stated that athletes could wear the hijab in the Olympic Village. ‘For the Olympic Village, the IOC rules apply,’ it had said. ‘There are no restrictions on wearing the hijab or any other religious or cultural attire.’
France announced that it would prevent its athletes wearing the hijab in September. Amelie Oudea-Castera, France’s Sports Minister, said that the principle of secularism meant that it would not be permitted.
‘What does that mean? That means a ban on any type of proselytising,’ she told French TV. ‘That means absolute neutrality in publiuc services, the French team will not wear the headscarf.’
There are special types of hijabs that are worn by athletes during sporting competitions.
France has come under significant criticism, both within France, and from international rights groups.
‘Banning French athletes from competing with sports hijabs at the Olympic and Paralympic Games makes a mockery of claims that Paris 2024 is the first Gender Equal Olympics and lays bare the racist gender discrimination that underpins access to sport in France,’ said Anna Błuś, Amnesty’s International Women’s Rights Researcher in Europe.
France is the only country in Europe that prevents headscarf wearing women from participating in most domestic sports competitions. Rights groups have said that the policy contravenes not only the IOC’s own guidelines, but also international treaty obligations that France is required to uphold.
The French Council of State upheld a prohibition on female footballers wearing the hijab during games in June 2023 that had been imposed by the French Football Federation.
Rights groups have long voiced concern about the consequences of blocking headscarf-wearing women from participating in sports.
Amnesty International said that such bans have resulted in negative mental and physical consequences for women and caused ‘humilitation, trauma and fear.’
The French approach to the Olympics has also drawn the attention of the United Nations.
While the UN did not directly address the ban, the UN Rights Office’s spokeswoman in Geneva said in a veiled rebuke after the policy was announced that ‘no-one should impose on a woman what she needs to wear or not to wear.’
She also pointed out that ‘discriminatory practices against a group can have harmful consequences’ and added: ‘Restrictions on expressions of religions or beliefs, such as attire choices, are only acceptable under really specific circumstances’