Shafaqna India: UN experts are calling on France to overturn discriminatory measures that prevent women and girls from wearing the hijab while participating in sports. They criticize the decisions made by the French football and basketball federations to exclude hijab-wearing players from competitions, even at the amateur level, as well as the French government’s stance that bars these athletes from representing France at the upcoming Paris Olympic Games.
The experts argue that these actions are disproportionate and infringe upon individuals’ rights to express their identity and religious beliefs both privately and publicly, as well as their ability to engage in cultural life.
“Muslim women and girls who wear the hijab must have equal rights to participate in cultural and sporting life, and to be fully included in all aspects of French society,” the experts stated.