Senate Approves Ban on Religious Symbols in Sports, Marking a Shift for French Government
Paris, France – On Tuesday, February 18th, the French Senate passed a bill proposed by the right-wing Les Républicains party that would prohibit the wearing of religious symbols, including the hijab, in all sports competitions, including amateur level. The bill was strongly supported by the government, signaling a significant shift in the debate on religious expression in public spaces.
The issue of religious attire in sports has been a contentious one in France for several years, with some sports federations, such as football, banning it, while others, like handball, permit it. Previous governments have taken a cautious approach to the issue, rejecting similar initiatives from the right-wing Senate.
However, on Tuesday, the Senate voted 210 to 81 in favor of the bill, which was sponsored by Michel Savin, a senator from Les Républicains. The text of the bill states that "the wearing of any symbol or clothing that conspicuously demonstrates political or religious affiliation is prohibited" in "departmental, regional, and national competitions" organized by sports federations that are "delegated public service providers."
François-Noël Buffet, a minister from Les Républicains and close to Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, expressed the government’s support for the bill, saying that it "contributes a welcome piece to the edifice that we have been building together for years against all forms of separatism."
The Minister of Sports, Marie Barsacq, was absent from the Senate debate due to her involvement in the launch of the organizing committee for the 2030 Winter Olympics in Lyon.
Senator Savin defended the bill, arguing that it was necessary to "sanctify the domain of sports where neutrality must prevail and to reaffirm loudly and clearly that the Republic prevails over religious law."
The debate exposed deep partisan divisions, with many senators from the left denouncing the initiative as an attack on the 1905 law on secularism and stigmatizing Muslim women.
"By using this founding principle to serve your anti-Muslim narrative, you are only feeding confusion, approximations, and stereotypes," said Patrick Kanner, the president of the Socialist senators, to the Les Républicains senators.
Environmentalist senator Mathilde Ollivier accused the right of "directly, frontally, and cowardly targeting Muslim women in our country" with the aim of "excluding them" from participating in sports.
"Between the hijab and the burkini, and sports, you have to choose," retorted Jacqueline Eustache-Brinio, a Les Républicains senator.
The debate over religious symbols in sports has often put France at odds with other countries. During the 2020 Summer Olympics, the wearing of the hijab was banned for French female athletes in the name of defending secularism. French athlete Sounkamba Sylla was only able to participate in the opening ceremony after a compromise was reached, with her headscarf being replaced by a cap.
An amendment to the bill, which was also passed by the Senate, extends the ban to athletes selected for the national team.
The bill, which now awaits transmission to the National Assembly, contains additional measures, such as prohibiting the use of gymnasiums or sports fields owned by local authorities for "the exercise of religious practices," such as prayer rooms. It also requires the internal regulations of swimming pools to prohibit the wearing of clothing that could "contravene" the principles of "neutrality of public services" and secularism. This provision echoes a decision by the Council of State in 2022 that closed the door to the burkini in municipal swimming pools in Grenoble.
