'Racist and Islamophobic': French Association Condemns Sports Hijab Ban

IQNA – The Muslim Students of France (EMF) has strongly slammed a proposed law to ban Islamic headscarves (hijabs) in sports competitions, labeling it as “racist, Islamophobic, and sexist.”

The group, in a post on X, argued that the legislation is exclusionary and limits Muslims’ participation in public spaces, particularly sports. 

The EMF said the proposal promots discrimination under the guise of defending citizenship and public order. “It creates sub-citizens,” the organization stated, warning that such measures erode the principle of equality and effectively relegate Muslims to second-class status.

The group also condemned the political scrutiny of Muslim women’s bodies, linking the proposed ban to France’s 2004 law prohibiting religious symbols in schools and the 2023 ban on abayas in educational institutions. 

The association criticized the bill for fabricating a “public problem” around Islam and Muslims, based on what it called vague and marginal claims.

It emphasized that sports, meant to foster unity, are becoming an arena for discrimination, urging immediate action to oppose the law, describing it as part of a broader pattern of surveillance targeting Muslims in France. 

On Tuesday, the French Senate moved forward with the bill, which will now be debated in the National Assembly, the lower house of parliament.

Amnesty International also condemned the proposal, stating, “This ban is discriminatory and violates human rights. All women have the right to choose what to wear.” The organization criticized the measure as rooted in Islamophobia and patriarchal control over Muslim women’s attire. 

This latest proposal follows a series of controversial bans in France, including the 2023 prohibition of abayas in schools.

Source: Agencies