submitted to the French parliament, the bill on the ban on wearing religious symbols at sporting events is aimed primarily against Muslims and will create a serious obstacle to their access to public life and sports.
this opinion is shared by Rani Belkha, the founder of Khlass Les Cliches, a civil initiative to protect the rights of Muslim women in France. The organization is engaged in the fight against bias and stereotypes that Muslims face, and also helps to increase awareness of their rights and supports them in solving social and legal problems.
The spread of the ban on wearing hats to professional and amateur sports competitions introduced in 2004 caused a sharply negative reaction. Many consider this measure to violate the rights and freedoms of Muslim women, limiting their opportunity to express their religious identity.
A ban, which with the adoption of a new law will be extended to all branches of amateur sports, in addition to an existing ban on wearing head scarves and scarves in the pools, is perceived as a threat to personal freedoms and basic rights of women who carry hats for religious reasons.
Although theoretically the law is directed against wearing religious symbols at sporting events, in practice it is perceived as a measure, mainly aimed at women wearing scarves, and actually limits their opportunity to participate in sports.
This is a serious obstacle to freedom of personality
Rani Belkha, the founder of the Khlass Les Cliches initiative, told Anadol that the organizations are concerned that prohibitions on wearing shawls can spread to all spheres of life.
“We are opposed to all forms of discrimination. However, as you know, Muslim women in France are especially susceptible to Islamophobia and often find themselves in the center of this discrimination. The last law is also aimed at women wearing scarves, which continues the practice of previous prohibitions. For example, there are football players who wear Christian symbols or make large tattoos, but I never see it that it becomes an object that it becomes an object Discussions, ”said the human rights activist.
According to her, the ban causes serious disputes about freedom and democracy. “The presence of Muslim women in public life, especially in sports, and possibly soon in other areas, is increasingly limited. This law reminds us of the 2004 law, which has been banned by wearing scarves and religious symbols in schools. Since then, these prohibitions are perceived as” witch hunt “against schoolgirls who want to wear scarves. We have never heard that they are discussing in this context who wears the Cross or those who are wearing a cross or who wears the Cross Kipu, ”she continued.