Is France's Hijab Ban For Olympics 2024 Justified?

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France has banned French athletes from donning the hijab, the Islamic headscarf, at the 2024 Paris Olympics. This announcement was made by French Sports Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera, during a segment on French TV. Paris will be hosting the Olympics from July 26, 2024, to August 11, 2024.

This announcement has resulted in a wave of criticism. "No one should impose on a woman what she needs to wear or not wear," United Nations rights office spokeswoman Marta Hurtado told reporters in Geneva.

To be fair to French Sports Minister Ameili Oudea-Castera, she was merely reiterating French law. French laws prohibit the wearing of "ostentatious" religious symbols in some contexts, such as in state schools and by civil servants. France was the first European country to ban wearing a full-face veil in 2010. The education ministry also made a similar statement and has banned school students from wearing abayas. In June, France's Council of State upheld a ban on women footballers wearing the hijab.

In France, the issue of religious dress goes to the heart of the country's strict rules on secularism. These are intended to keep the state neutral in religious matters while guaranteeing citizens the right to freely practice their religion. Applying this logic, one cannot wear a headscarf (or any other accessory or outfit demonstrating a religious affiliation) when representing France in a national or international sporting competition.

I do not support this ban. I would like every human being to have the freedom to decide what to wear, with limited exceptions for school uniforms etc. Even in schools, I would like pupils to have the freedom to wear any additional religions attire, like turbans, hijabs and crosses. I am conscious that many of those who wear the hijab do so because of their social conditioning and that the hijab is not a sign of social progress. Having said that, I would still oppose an outright ban on the hijab. Governments should work towards weaning women away from such practices instead of banning them outright, which cuts to the root of personal freedom and privacy.

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