Female Footballers Demand Right To Wear Hijab In French Competitions

Hijab-wearing footballers played an impromptu game in Paris’ Luxembourg garden, behind the Senate protesting a decision banning them from sports competitions. 

 Founé Diawara, co-president of the collective Les Hijabeuses, an offshoot of the Alliance citoyenne group

“What bothers us is that some women are being left out, including thousands of women today who wear the veil and who practice a particular sport, which is soccer. And once again, they exclude us, whereas the fundamental values of football and sport are to unite and to come together.”

“Ce qui nous dérange, c’est qu’on met de côté certaines femmes, dont des milliers de femmes aujourd’hui qui portent le voile et qui pratiquent un sport en particulier, qui est le football. Et encore une fois, on exclut, alors que les valeurs fondamentales du sport et du football sont d’unir et d’être en cohésion.”

 Founé Diawara, co-president of the collective Les Hijabeuses, an offshoot of the Alliance citoyenne group (female, French, 19 sec):

“The purpose of this nonviolent action, which is organized by the Alliance Citoyenne (Citizen Alliance) group, is to protest against the amendment that was voted by 160 senators, which aims to prohibit the wearing of religious symbols within sports federations, therefore during official competitions.”

“Le but de cette action non violente, qui est organisée par l’Alliance Citoyenne, c’est de protester contre l’amendement qui a été voté par 160 sénateurs et sénatrices, qui vise à interdire tout port de signes religieux au sein des fédérations sportives, donc durant les compétitions officielles.”

Founé Diawara, co-president of the collective Les Hijabeuses, an offshoot of the Alliance citoyenne group (female, French, 15 sec):

“We have been organized as a union for more than a year and we have been fighting against the fact that women who wear the veil cannot play soccer in competition. This amendment adds a burden to that and so we are protesting against it today.”

“On est organisé en tant que syndicat depuis plus d’un an et on se bat contre le fait que les femmes qui portent le voile ne puissent pas jouer au football en compétition. Cet amendement vient ajouter une charge à cela et donc on proteste contre cela aujourd’hui.”

 Founé Diawara, co-president of the collective Les Hijabeuses, an offshoot of the Alliance citoyenne group (female, French, 23 sec):

“We don’t see why we should remove it. There is no reason, there is nothing in the law that says that the veil is not in cohesion with the values of sport and with sport. So I don’t see why we would be forced to remove it, there is really nothing that would justify that. And above all, it is something personal and intimate and there is no right, there is nobody who can ask us to remove it.”