Amnesty International Urges France to Reject Hijab Ban in Sports

Author: Dian Kencana
February 20, 2025

Illustration of the French Parliament. (ANTARA/Anadolu)

SEAToday.com, Paris - Amnesty International has urged the French parliament to reject a bill aimed at banning the use of hijab and other religious symbols in sports competitions across the country.

The bill proposes prohibiting clothing and accessories that reflect religious identity in all sports disciplines and is set to be discussed in the French Senate soon.

According to Amnesty International, while secularism in the French Constitution is supposed to guarantee religious freedom, in practice, this principle is often used to restrict the rights of Muslim women in public life. The human rights organization also highlighted that France has long implemented discriminatory policies regarding Muslim women's attire, including in the sports sector.

Several sports federations in France have already banned the use of hijabs for female athletes, and if this bill is passed, the policy will further exacerbate discrimination and reinforce an unwelcoming environment for the Muslim community in France.

Ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympics, Amnesty International warned that such regulations could negatively impact the mental and physical well-being of Muslim women who wish to participate in sports.

Anna Blus, a researcher at Amnesty International, stated that the ban on hijabs for French athletes in the Paris Olympics has received widespread international criticism. However, instead of revising the policy, French authorities are now attempting to expand the ban across all sports.

Blus emphasized that although this policy is claimed to uphold secularism, in reality, it directly targets Muslim women. She warned that framing the hijab as a threat to secularism is a dangerous move that will only deepen religious discrimination and racism.

"Every woman has the right to choose what she wears," she stated, stressing that banning hijabs in sports is a form of Islamophobia that must be rejected.