The United Nations has called out France for banning Muslim women from wearing headscarves in sports. The UN says this Hijab ban is unfair and stops these women from playing sports and living their lives fully. France is facing criticism for this decision, as it goes against the idea of everyone being equal.
UN experts have called France’s hijab ban in sports “discriminatory” and urged the country to reverse the policy. This ban prevents Muslim women and girls who wear hijabs from competing in sports, affecting both amateur and professional athletes. France’s restrictions on religious symbols, including the hijab, align with its secularism laws, which aim to maintain neutrality in religious matters.
During the Paris 2024 Olympics, France enforced these rules, barring athletes from wearing religious symbols, including hijabs. The country’s football and basketball federations have also restricted hijab-wearing players from participating, causing debate over religious freedom and discrimination.
A group of eight UN experts, including those on cultural rights and religious freedom, expressed concern that the ban unfairly limits Muslim women’s ability to participate in cultural and sports life. They argue that everyone should have the right to express their identity and beliefs, both publicly and privately, without discrimination. “Muslim women and girls who wear the hijab must have equal rights to participate in all aspects of French society,” they stated, emphasizing the importance of inclusion and cultural respect.
Expert’s Opinion
France’s secularism laws generally prohibit the display of “ostentatious” religious symbols in public institutions, such as schools and government offices. However, the experts insisted that “the neutrality and secular nature of the state are not legitimate grounds for imposing restrictions on the rights to freedom of expression and freedom of religion or belief”.
“Any limitations of these freedoms must be proportionate, necessary to reach one of the objectives stated in international law (safety, health, and public order, the rights and freedoms of others), and justified by facts […] and not by presumptions, assumptions or prejudices,” they said.
“In a context of intolerance and strong stigmatization of women and girls who choose to wear the hijab, France must take all measures at its disposal to protect them, to safeguard their rights, and to promote equality and mutual respect for cultural diversity.”
The French contingent at the home Olympics in Paris did not include any hijab-wearing athletes. However, the International Olympic Committee allowed participants to wear the hijab in the athletes’ village.
