US EditionA headscarf ban in basketball is benching players in France. A new bill could make it law
- A bill to ban headscarves in all sporting competitions has passed its first legislative hurdle in the Senate, backed by right-wing politicians.
- Amnesty International stated that the bill specifically targets Muslim women and girls, excluding them from competitions for wearing headscarves.
- Supporters argue that the proposed law is essential for protecting secularism in France, a key principle of the French Republic.
- If enacted, France will be the only democracy to enforce a ban on all religious head coverings in sports.
45 Articles
45 Articles
Associated Press News
A headscarf ban in basketball is benching players in France. A new bill could make it law
Thousands of young Muslim women in France are sidelined from competitive sport because of rules in several disciplines including basketball that ban uniforms and other clothing carrying a religious or political significance.
France’s sports headscarf ban violates rights, targets Muslim women
by Associated Press PARIS May 26, 2025 - Former player Salimata Sylla poses before a women’s basketball tournament where players can wear a headscarf, Aubervilliers near Paris, April 27, 2025. (AP Photo) Salimata Sylla was about to lead her team onto the basketball court, as she had done many times before. On that Sunday morning, she…
The hijab ban in french basketball: clash of secularism and religious freedom
As France considers a sweeping ban on headscarves in sports competitions, basketball courts have become unexpected battlegrounds for larger debates about secularism, religious freedom, and identity. This controversial proposal, currently making its way through the French Senate, highlights the tension between France’s commitment to laïcité (secularism) and the rights of Muslim women athletes to participate in sports while adhering to their relig…
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