United Nations Human Rights Council-appointed experts have criticized the decision of the French football and basketball federations to exclude players wearing hijabs from competitions, including at the amateur level, and the decision of the Government France prevented French athletes from wearing headscarves from representing the country at the Paris Olympic Games last summer.
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Experts say these measures violate individuals’ rights to express their religion, identity and beliefs, as well as their right to participate in cultural life.
Experts say that France’s policies on headscarves go against the country’s stated commitments to inclusion and do not meet the criteria for legitimate limits on human rights under international law. international.
“State neutrality and secularity are not legitimate grounds for imposing restrictions on freedom of expression and freedom of religion or belief. Any restrictions on these freedoms must be proportionate and necessary to achieve one of the goals stated in international law,” the experts said, adding that they are never based on “assumptions, assumptions or prejudices.”
Risk of discrimination
Experts also raised concerns about a recent decision by the Conseil d’État, France’s highest administrative court, to uphold the football federation’s ban on headscarves, as well as a bill proposed by the Senate. The institute proposed to further limit the use of headscarves in public places.
Independent experts – who do not receive a salary, are not UN staff and do not represent any government – warned that the bill considers the headscarf a potential threat to order public and such actions can reinforce harmful and discriminatory stereotypes of Muslim women and girls.
“Amid strong intolerance and discrimination against women and girls who choose to wear the hijab, France must take all possible measures to protect them, guarantee their rights and promote equality and mutual respect for cultural diversity.,” they concluded.
Human rights experts have officially contacted the French Government about this situation, the issue has also been raised in the report presented by the United Nations Special Rapporteur to the United Nations General Assembly in the field of cultural rights.
