United Nations human rights experts have condemned France’s decision to prohibit women and girls wearing the hijab from participating in sports, calling the ban “discriminatory” and demanding it be lifted. This restriction, rooted in France’s secular policies, applies to professional and amateur sports, including the 2024 Paris Olympics, where athletes were barred from wearing religious symbols, reports Al Jazeera.
France’s football and basketball federations have extended the ban to amateur competitions, barring hijab-wearing athletes from the field. The UN experts, including special rapporteurs on cultural rights, minority issues, and freedom of religion, argue this policy disproportionately affects Muslim women, infringing on their rights to express their identity and faith.
“Muslim women and girls who wear the hijab must have equal rights to participate in cultural and sporting life,” said the UN statement, signed by eight independent experts. They emphasised that restrictions should be “proportionate and necessary,” based on objective justifications rather than assumptions or prejudices.
France defends the ban as part of its secularism laws aimed at maintaining religious neutrality in public spaces. However, the UN experts argue that the state’s secular stance should not impede freedoms of expression and belief, especially in a climate of intolerance toward hijab-wearing women and girls. They urged France to protect these individuals’ rights and promote respect for cultural diversity.
While the International Olympic Committee permitted hijab-wearing athletes in the Olympic Village, France did not field any athletes wearing the hijab at the Paris Games. The call from UN experts highlights an ongoing debate over balancing secularism and individual rights in the French public sphere.
