France faces a backlash over hijab ban for athletes at the Olympics Games in Paris, with campaigners branding the move 'racist, gender discrimination'

Rights groups person accused France of 'discriminatory hypocrisy' for its refusal to let its athletes to deterioration nan hijab during their information astatine nan Paris Olympics, which are owed to get underway successful 10 days' time. 

Amnesty International, on pinch 10 different organisations, said that nan prohibition prevented athletes 'from exercising their quality correct to play athletics without favoritism of immoderate kind.' 

Amnesty had earlier appealed to nan International Olympic Committee (IOC), on pinch 10 different groups, asking nan assemblage to intervene to reverse nan French ban. 

The IOC responded that overturning nan argumentation was beyond its remit, explaining that 'freedom of belief is interpreted successful galore different ways by different states.' 

The IOC, which oversees nan Olympics, had earlier stated that athletes could deterioration nan hijab successful nan Olympic Village. 'For nan Olympic Village, nan IOC rules apply,' it had said. 'There are nary restrictions connected wearing nan hijab aliases immoderate different belief aliases taste attire.' 

France announced that it would forestall its athletes wearing nan hijab successful September. Amelie Oudea-Castera, France's Sports Minister, said that nan rule of secularism meant that it would not beryllium permitted.  

'What does that mean? That intends a prohibition connected immoderate type of proselytising,' she told French TV.  'That intends absolute neutrality successful publiuc services, nan French squad will not deterioration nan headscarf.' 

There are typical types of hijabs that are worn by athletes during sporting competitions.  

France has travel nether important criticism, some wrong France, and from world authorities groups. 

'Banning French athletes from competing pinch sports hijabs astatine nan Olympic and Paralympic Games makes a insult of claims that Paris 2024 is nan first Gender Equal Olympics and lays bare nan racist gender favoritism that underpins entree to athletics successful France,' said Anna Błuś, Amnesty's International Women's Rights Researcher successful Europe. 

France is nan only state successful Europe that prevents headscarf wearing women from participating successful astir home sports competitions. Rights groups person said that nan argumentation contravenes not only nan IOC's ain guidelines, but besides world pact obligations that France is required to uphold.  

The French Council of State upheld a prohibition connected female footballers wearing nan hijab during games successful June 2023 that had been imposed by nan French Football Federation. 

Rights groups person agelong voiced interest astir nan consequences of blocking headscarf-wearing women from participating successful sports. 

Amnesty International said that specified bans person resulted successful antagonistic intelligence and beingness consequences for women and caused 'humilitation, trauma and fear.' 

The French attack to nan Olympics has besides drawn nan attraction of nan United Nations. 

While nan UN did not straight reside nan ban, nan UN Rights Office's spokeswoman successful Geneva said successful a cloaked rebuke aft nan argumentation was announced that 'no-one should enforce connected a female what she needs to deterioration aliases not to wear.'

She besides pointed retired that 'discriminatory practices against a group tin person harmful consequences' and added: 'Restrictions connected expressions of religions aliases beliefs, specified arsenic attire choices, are only acceptable nether really circumstantial circumstances'