“Muslim ladies and women who put on the hijab ought to have equal rights to take part in cultural and sporting life,” say UN consultants.
United Nations human rights consultants have criticized selections made in France banning ladies and women who put on the Muslim headband from collaborating in sporting competitions as “discriminatory”, and are demanding they be revoked.
France invoked its strict guidelines on secularism to ban its athletes from carrying non secular symbols, together with the hijab, through the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The French soccer and basketball federations have additionally chosen to exclude gamers who put on the headband from competitions, even at newbie stage.
These selections “are disproportionate and discriminatory, and violate their rights.” [of French athletes] freely manifest their identification, faith or beliefs in non-public and public, and take part in cultural life,” says the declaration, signed by eight impartial UN consultants, printed on Monday.
“Muslim ladies and women who put on the hijab should have equal rights to take part in cultural and sporting life, and in all elements of French society of which they’re half,” they mentioned.
The assertion was signed by the UN particular rapporteurs on cultural rights, minority points and freedom of faith and perception, and members of the UN working group on discrimination in opposition to ladies and women.
They’re impartial consultants appointed by the UN Human Rights Council, however who don’t converse on behalf of the UN.
French legal guidelines on secularism purpose to maintain the state impartial in non secular issues, whereas guaranteeing residents the appropriate to freely observe their faith.
Amongst different issues, they prohibit college college students and academics, in addition to officers, from carrying “ostentatious” non secular symbols.
However the consultants insisted that “the neutrality and secular character of the State should not reputable causes to impose restrictions on the rights to freedom of expression and freedom of faith or perception.”
“Any limitation on these freedoms have to be proportionate and vital to attain one of many targets established in worldwide legislation. [safety, health and public order, the rights and freedoms of others]and justified by details… and never by presumptions, suppositions or prejudices,” they mentioned.
“In a context of intolerance and powerful stigmatization of girls and women who select to put on the hijab, France should take all measures at its disposal to guard them, safeguard their rights and promote equality and mutual respect for cultural range.”
The French contingent on the Paris Olympics didn’t embrace any athletes carrying hijab. Nevertheless, the Worldwide Olympic Committee allowed contributors to put on the hijab within the athletes’ village.
