Martin Lange and Zoé Pallier, edited by Laura Laplaud 10:35 a.m., February 11, 2022
It's a growing controversy.
A collective of young women called the "Hijabeuses" protested in front of the Senate on Thursday against the draft amendment prohibiting the wearing of the veil in sports competitions.
For the Minister Delegate for Gender Equality, Elisabeth Moreno, "these young girls can wear the veil and play football".
"These girls play sports and sport is emancipation," said Minister Elisabeth Moreno, Minister Delegate for Gender Equality, Thursday evening on LCI when asked about "Hijabeuses".
This group of young women asked to be able to continue to wear their veil in competition while the French Football Federation (FFF) prohibits it.
"On the football field today, it is not forbidden to wear the veil. I want the law to be respected and the law says that these young girls can wear the veil and play football", a- she explained.
What the law says ?
As much as the law is very clear for the employees of the federations, neutrality and therefore prohibition of any religious sign, it is much more vague for the practitioners of these sports.
No text prohibits users from wearing external signs of belonging except in cases of proven proselytism.
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In reality, the French Football Federation is an exception in the middle of French sport.
Article 1 of its regulations stipulates that any wearing of signs showing religious affiliation is banned.
It is also against the grain of the world body, FIFA, which has allowed footballers to play in hijab since 2012. It is against this FFF regulation that the "Hijabeuses" are mobilizing.
A regulation that the Senate would like to extend to all sports federations.
Should the veil be banned in the name of secularism?
Should these women be prevented from playing sports and even from entering competitions?
Or should we allow them and take the risk of encouraging proselytism?
The fear is unfounded according to Fatima Mellouky, coach.
"We really had all the girls in the neighborhood and it turns out that the majority wore the veil," she says.
Fatima founded a women's football team in Montpellier.
"These were families who had trouble letting their daughter out. At the time, we had regional championships, it made them see other things."
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For the trainer, letting women play with their veils is a virtuous circle.
However, "arriving at a certain level, we were told that if we wanted to go further, we had to withdraw it".
"Me, as a coach, I didn't force anyone. I told the girls, those who want to withdraw it and want to go further, it's your choice. If you want to keep it, we stop playing in competition and we do leisure", she testifies.
Result, the majority of the girls of his team chose to stop the competition.