Sports News | French Senators Vote to Ban Veils in Sports Competitions
Get latest articles and stories on Sports at LatestLY. The French Senate has voted in favor of banning the wearing of headscarves in sports competitions, arguing that neutrality is a requirement on the field of play.
Paris, Jan 19 (AP) The French Senate has voted in favor of banning the wearing of headscarves in sports competitions, arguing that neutrality is a requirement on the field of play.
The French upper legislative house voted late Tuesday in favour of amending a proposed law stipulating that the wearing “of conspicuous religious symbols is prohibited" to take part in events and competitions organised by sports federations.
Also Read | Feels Like Arjun Deshwal is the King of This #SuperhitPanga … – Latest Tweet by Pro Kabaddi.
In their text, senators clearly said that the amendment aims at banning “the wearing of the veil in sports competitions." They added that headscarves can put at risk the safety of athletes wearing it when they practice their discipline.
The amendment proposed by right-wing group Les Republicains and opposed by the French government was adopted with 160 votes in favor, and 143 against. A commission composed of members from the Senate and the lower house should now gather to find a compromise on the text before it is published, meaning the amendment can still be erased.
It is unclear whether the ban would be implemented for the 2024 Paris Olympics. The Olympic organizing committee did not immediately answer a request for comment.
The vote came a year after lawmakers in the French parliament's lower house approved a bill to strengthen oversight of mosques, schools and sports clubs in a bid to safeguard France from radical Islamists and to promote respect for French values — one of President Emmanuel Macron's landmark projects.
With France bloodied by terror attacks, few disagree that radicalization is a danger. But critics also see the law as a political ploy to lure the right wing to Macron's centrist party ahead of this year's presidential election.
In the amendment, senators said all citizens are free to exercise their religion, but insisted that everyone should refrain from putting forward their differences.
“Today, there is legal uncertainty about the wearing of religious symbols, and it is necessary for the state to clearly define the rules,” the amendment voted by senators read. “If the wearing of the veil is not explicitly forbidden, we could see the emergence of community sports clubs promoting certain religious signs."
The French soccer federation already bans women from wearing headscarves in official matches, as well as at competitions it organises. (AP)
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)