“Historic Olympic Moment: Hijab-Wearing Gold Medalist Sparks Controversy and Defiance in France’s Xenophobia Debate!”
This is why some athletes, including Sifan and Team Australia’s boxer Tina Rahimi, were seen wearing the hijab during the Games.
French law maintains strict secularism, and the issue of religious dress goes to the heart of that, DW reported in 2023.
These laws are intended to keep the state neutral in religious matters while guaranteeing citizens the right to freely practice their religion in private, the German outlet explained.
Sifan delivered an incredible burst in the final 250 meters of the women’s marathon
View this post on Instagram
They prohibit wearing religious symbols in some contexts, such as in state schools and by civil servants. They also outlawed full-face coverings in 2010.
Last year, France also saw a ban on the abaya (a loose-fitting dress often worn by Muslim women) in schools.
In June 2023, the Conseil d’Etat (Council of State) affirmed a law banning the hijab in football after a pressure group called Les Hijabeuses and the Human Rights League filed for it to be overturned.
The Council of State supported the French Football Federation’s ban and stated that it “is appropriate and proportionate.”
View this post on Instagram
Les Hijabeuses called the decision “shocking,” adding that it legitimized “violence against women, against Islam, which exists in French society” by excluding those women, as per DW.
