The Council of Europe backed down on a campaign to promote diversity among women and support their freedom to wear the hijab, after the efforts sparked outcry from France.

The Council of Europe is an organization concerned with the rule of law and human and social rights in the European continent. It was established after the end of the Second World War, and it includes dozens of countries inside and outside the Union.

The European Union co-financed the campaign launched by the Council of Europe - based in Strasbourg - last week via the Internet, but it angered the far-right in France with the preparations for presidential election campaigns next spring, according to Agence France-Presse.

As part of the campaign's publicity efforts, photos spread on Twitter showed two smiling girls divided into two halves fused together, one with uncovered hair and the other wearing a veil.

🇪🇺 New clip promoted by the Council of Europe:

"Beauty is in diversity, as


freedom is in hijab"

You have an idea about "EU values" now.

pic.twitter.com/TYaORsXo2u

— Expat in Poland 🇵🇱 (@BasedPoland2) November 2, 2021

French attack

The campaign's activities initially proceeded without any problems, before it was attacked by the far right in France, who are among the most vocal opponents of wearing the veil in public.

In a tweet, right-wing politician Eric Zemmour - who has not yet officially announced his candidacy - wrote: "Islam is the enemy of freedom, this campaign is the enemy of the truth."

Some polls expect Zemmour to reach the second run-off against Macron.

"This European campaign to promote the Islamic headscarf is scandalous and inappropriate, at a time when millions of women are bravely fighting this enslavement," said Marine Le Pen, the right-wing leader and Macron's main rival in the 2017 elections.

France's state minister in charge of youth affairs, Sarah El-Heri, said the council's campaign had shocked her.

She explained in a statement to the channel "LCI" (LCI) on Tuesday that the video clip of the campaign was encouraging the wearing of the veil, and that this contradicts French values.

"We condemn this matter, and France informed its rejection of the Council of Europe campaign, and it was canceled," she said, claiming that France defends secularism and freedom of religion, but this campaign supports the veil.

Following the cancellation of the campaign, the Twitter account of the Council of Europe deleted the tweets it had posted in this regard.