Les Hijabeuses

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Les Hijabeuses is a French group that fights for Muslim women to wear the hijab while playing football. It started in May 2020 after the French Football Federation (FFF) banned hijabs in competitive matches. Some members had to stop playing because of the ban, and the group argued that FIFA rules since 2014 allow players to wear hijabs.

The group organized protests, including one at the FFF headquarters in July 2021. In January 2022, the Senate approved a conservative amendment that banned "ostensible religious symbols" in competitive sports, effectively keeping the FFF ban. Supporters said the change was to protect secular neutrality, while Les Hijabeuses said it violated freedom of worship. The group drew public attention and support from figures like Eric Cantona and Lilian Thuram.

The amendment was withdrawn when it became clear it would not pass the National Assembly, which then held a majority for President Macron’s party. The protests caused controversy over secularism in France. France’s gender equality minister, Élisabeth Moreno, said French law does not bar playing sports in hijab, but government spokesman Gabriel Attal insisted Moreno’s comments did not reflect the official government position. Other ministers, Bruno Le Maire and Marlène Schiappa, supported the amendment.

After the Senate change was dropped, Les Hijabeuses challenged the FFF rule before the Conseil d’État. On 29 June 2023, the Conseil d’État upheld the ban on playing in hijab.