Liberte. Egalite. Fraternite. These are the core values of France that have been instituted since the French Revolution in the late 1700s. They represent everything the country strives to be and pushes to achieve. Or so they say. Recently, France has been setting many laws to ban hijabs, especially in French schools, and now, this is happening at the 2024 Olympics as well.
“There are no restrictions on wearing the hijab or any other religious or cultural attire.” This is a direct quote from the International Olympic Committee (IOC), who believe that anyone who wishes to can express their culture through whatever clothing they want.
However, the French team hasn’t been treated with this respect yet.
There has been an increasing hate targeted towards Muslim sports, and it’s not getting any better.
Even during last year’s Ramadan – which is a month long fast – French players were forced to continue with their sports and were not allowed to pause the matches for their fast, because it was seen as an interruption and disrespectful towards the French Football Federation (FFF). Additionally, the same rules will also be in order this year so that players are still needed to play, therefore almost certainly ensuring they will break their fast.
Wearing a hijab is part of a culture and many people’s identities. Taking that away is like taking an entire part of them away.
It’s still unsure whether the bans will be lifted for the upcoming Olympics, but let’s hope some change happens.
Work Cited:
Wikipedia, https://www.bbc.com/sport/olympics/68739487. Accessed 17 April 2024.