Europe 1 with AFP 11:25 a.m., February 10, 2022

Minister Delegate for Gender Equality Elisabeth Moreno said Thursday that women "have the right to wear the Islamic veil to play" on a football field.

The deputy minister was questioned about the "hijabeuses", a group that campaigns for this right in competition.

Women "have the right to wear the Islamic veil to play" on a football field, said Thursday the Minister Delegate for Gender Equality, Elisabeth Moreno, when asked about the "hijabeuses", a collective which campaigns for this right in competition.

"The law says that these young girls can wear the veil and play football. On the football fields today, it is not forbidden to wear the veil. I want the law to be respected," said the minister on LCI, while the French Football Federation (FFF) prohibits the wearing of religious symbols in competition.

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"If they want to play football while being veiled, how is that impossible? (...) Very often, girls are unable to leave their homes to do things, the famous house arrest," said she said, supporting "the possibility for girls to play sports".

A collective, the "Hijabeuses", seized the Council of State in November 2021 to obtain the repeal of article 1 of the regulations of the French Football Federation (FFF), which prohibits "any wearing of a sign or outfit demonstrating ostensibly a political, philosophical, religious or trade union affiliation".

The senators adopted on January 19, against the advice of the government, an amendment proposed by the LR group prohibiting "the wearing of conspicuous religious symbols" during "sporting events and sports competitions organized by sports federations".

An amendment repealed by the Assembly where LREM has a majority.

"Protect those who are forced to wear the veil"

The administrative court on Wednesday suspended a prefectural decree which had banned a demonstration on the same day by "hijabeuses" near the Palais-Bourbon.

More generally, Elisabeth Moreno estimated on LCI that "in the public space, women can dress as they wish" and that "there are women who say 'I wear the veil by choice'".

"My battle is to protect those who are forced to wear the veil," she said.

“If parents have to be punished, why not? But only those who are forced to do so,” she said, when asked about the possibility of imposing dissuasive fines for parents of girls under 15 who wear the veil in the public space.

"Women must be able to choose to dress as they wish," said Ms. Moreno.