French legislators forbidding scarves in sports. Amnesty International says it is discriminatory

Amnesty International He calls for French legislators to reject the bill this week, which would ban the scarves in all sports competitions.

The bill is supported by the right senators and will be discussed from Tuesday in the upper house of the French Parliament. His goal is to ban all “allegedly religious” clothes and symbols during competitions. Amnesty International says this step would be discriminatory.

Voting probably refuel a protracted discussion about secularism – still unstable more than a century after the law of 1905 on the demarcation of the church and the state, which established it as the principle of the French Republic.

So far, sports federations are free to decide whether to allow scarfs, with two most powerful sports, football and rugby, deciding to ban them.

The bill is at an early stage, and the voting this week indicates the beginning of a long legislative process with an indefinite result. Even if senators vote for the benefit, the future of the bill will remain unclear because the lower house has the final word.

The bill will require a coalition of forces that usually do not cooperate in a deeply divided lower house.

Amnesty International calls come for French Sprinter Sunamba Sylla Last summer she was forbidden from the opening ceremony in Paris Olympiads Because she wears hijab. Ultimately -she was allowed to take part Wearing a hat to cover her hair.

France applies a strict principle ” LAICITé“The” secularism “was presented. At the Games, the President of the French Olympic Committee stated that his Olympians are related to secular principles concerning public sector employees in the country, which include the ban on hijabs and other religious features.

“At the Paris Olympiad, French ban on French athletes, who wear shawls from games at games, caused international indignation,” said Anna Blush, an international amnesty researcher in gender justice.

“In just six months, the French authorities not only doubled the discriminatory ban of Hijab, but tries to extend it to all sports.”

Experts appointed UN Council on Human Rights Previously, they criticized the decisions of French football and basketball federations to exclude hijab players and the decision of the French government to prevent his athletes to wear scarves not to represent the country at the Paris Games.

Amnesty International has stated that the bill is actually focused on Muslim women and girls, excluding them from sports if they wear a handkerchief or other religious clothing.

“La.com … theoretically embedded in the Constitution of France to protect the freedom of religions of everyone, is often used as an excuse to block the access of Muslim women to public premises in France,” Amnesty International said.

“For several years, the French authorities have passed laws and policies to regulate Muslim clothing for women and girls, discriminatory. Sports federations followed this, imposing a ban on Hijab in several sports. “

Two years ago, said the highest administrative court in France The country’s football federation had the right to ban the scarfs in competitions Even though the measure can limit freedom of expression.

Owning the principle of religious neutrality assigned to the Constitution, the country’s football federation also does not facilitate business for international players who want to refrain from drinking or food from dawn to sunset During Ramadan, the Islamic Holy Moon.

Proponents of the bill quote growing attacks on secularism in sports, arguing that its basic values ​​are based on the principle of versatility. In order to protect the sports grounds from any non-sports confrontation, it is necessary to exercise the principle of neutrality in order to ensure that no political, religious or racial demonstration or propaganda could be promoted.

The bill also states that the use of part of a sports facility as a place of worship would be a misuse of its purpose, and prohibits wearing religious clothing, such as Burkin, in public pools.

“By placing a handkerchief on the spectrum of” attacks on secularism “varying from” free “to” terrorism “, this legislation would, if accepted, would cause racism and increase the growing hostile environment that stands on Muslims and those who perceive Muslim in France, ”Amnesty International said.

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The Associated Press Sylvie Corbet has contributed to this story.