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Rabat – A group of women football players in France aiming to overturn the prohibition on wearing hijabs during matches have achieved a significant legal victory on Monday in their legal battle to bring about a rule change.
Currently, the French Football Federation’s regulations forbid all players, including amateurs, from wearing “conspicuous” religious symbols citing the principles of French secularism. The restriction prevents players from wearing Muslim headscarves or Jewish kippas.
In November 2021, a collective of Muslim women known as “the Hijabeuses” initiated a legal challenge against the rules, arguing that they were discriminatory and violated their freedom to practice their religion without constraints.
The case was presented to the French Constitutional Council on Monday, where the public rapporteur, whose opinions are typically followed by the council’s nine members, expressed opposition to the federation’s regulations and recommended a revision of the rules.
Clement Malverti of the French council stated that football players should not be subject to the same requirements of neutrality as public officials like teachers or civil servants, who are prohibited from displaying their religious beliefs.
He pointed out that football was already “filled with” religious symbols, such as the cross on the shirts of the professional Auxerre club, players making the sign of the cross before entering the field, or having tattoos featuring religious symbols.
Malverti also mentioned that a ban on the veil could be considered for national players who represent the country and are engaged in a “public service mission.” The council is expected to deliver its decision in three weeks.
Marion Ogier, the Hijabeuses’ lawyer, remarked that it was “too early to claim victory” but noted that the public rapporteur’s conclusions were favorable to their cause.
Foune Diawara, the head of the Hijabeuses, emphasized that their fight was not political or religious but centered on sport. She highlighted that many women are excluded from football fields every weekend solely because they wear the veil.
French laws on secularism guarantee religious freedom for all citizens and do not explicitly prohibit the wearing of religious symbols in public spaces, except for full-face coverings, which were banned in 2010.
The news comes amid a right-wing political campaign advocating for broader restrictions on the headscarf in France, perceiving it as a political statement in support of Islamism and a challenge to French values.
During the previous presidential election, far-right leader Marine Le Pen proposed a ban on the headscarf in all public places. However, experts stated that such a measure would likely have been deemed unconstitutional had she been elected.
In January of last year, the French Senate, which is dominated by the right-wing Republican party, attempted to introduce a law that would have prohibited the display of obvious religious symbols in all competitive sports. However, the proposal was rejected in the lower house by President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist ruling party.
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