A new French decision on the headscarf
The French Senate has voted to ban the wearing of headscarves in sporting competitions, arguing that neutrality is a requirement on the field of play.
The French Council voted in favor of amending a proposed law banning the wearing of "prominent religious symbols" to participate in events and competitions organized by sports federations.
In their text, the senators explained that the amendment aims to ban "the wearing of the headscarf in athletic competitions."
They added that the headscarf can endanger the safety of athletes when exercising their discipline.
The amendment proposed by the "Right Republic" group was adopted and opposed by the French government by 160 votes to 143 against.
A committee composed of members of the Senate and the House of Representatives must now meet to find a compromise on the text before it is published, which means the amendment can still be rescinded, and it is unclear whether the ban will be enforced at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The Olympic organizing committee did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The vote came a year after lawmakers in France's lower house of parliament approved a bill to strengthen oversight of mosques, schools and sports clubs in an effort to protect France from extremists and promote respect for French values, one of President Emmanuel Macron's high-profile projects.
With the emergence of terrorist attacks in France.
But critics also see the law as a political ploy to lure the right wing into Macron's centrist party ahead of this year's presidential election.
The senators said that all citizens are free to practice their religion, but insisted that everyone should refrain from putting forward their differences.
"Today, there is legal uncertainty about the wearing of religious symbols, and it is imperative that the state clearly defines the rules," reads the amendment, voted on by senators.
If the wearing of the hijab is not expressly forbidden, we could see the emergence of community sports clubs that promote certain religious signs.”
The French Football Federation already prohibits women from wearing the headscarf in official matches as well as in competitions it organizes.
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