Growing up, I had to avoid exercising and couldn’t participate in sports. I had eczema and any exertion would cause a painful flare-up.
But in college, I decided to try to break this cycle and signed up for different sports classes. Starting with badminton and archery, I gradually found myself connecting more closely with my body, learning to listen to it and take care of it. Finally, I had the courage to consider a contact sport. I wanted to train in boxing, but when I tried to sign up, the coach refused me. His reason: my turban.
I never made it to the ring, but I was still drawn into a fight: a fight for my rights as a woman and a Muslim, to be fully recognized as human and to be free from discrimination.
I wear a turban for reasons that should concern no one but me. The turban and other forms of head covering such as the “scarf” or the “hijab” have always been part of my sports outfit and fully meet hygiene and safety rules.
I thought maybe playing another sport would solve the problem, but that’s not the case. I joined a volleyball club and applied to participate in amateur competitions. But shortly after filling out the forms, the coach took me aside and informed me that the referee had told him that I would be allowed to practice but that I would not be able to join the team or participate in games. matches due to the status of the French Volleyball Federation (FFVB).
The justification I was given was false. The FFVB’s decision to ban the wearing of “religious symbols” including headscarves only came into force in September this year, after I applied to compete in amateur competitions.
“Secularism,” or “secularism,” which is theoretically enshrined in the French constitution to protect everyone’s religious freedom, has often been used as a pretext to block Muslim women’s access to public spaces in France. For several years, French authorities have adopted laws and policies to regulate the clothing of Muslim women and girls. Sports federations followed suit, imposing hijab bans in several sports, including football, basketball and volleyball, at both professional and amateur levels.
Motivated by prejudice, racism and sexist Islamophobia, these rules actually control the choices and bodies of Muslim women. In schools, beaches, swimming pools and other public spaces, we are not allowed to dress in a way that makes us feel comfortable.
I know from personal experience how devastating the consequences of these exclusionary and discriminatory bans can be. They can cause deep feelings of humiliation and trauma and cause women and girls to abandon sports or other activities they love, to be subjected to harmful discriminatory treatment and to suffer devastating effects on their health. mental and physical.
Due to the hijab ban, I was forced to take a break from volleyball. I felt deeply rejected, treated as a being without a soul, without a heart, without rights. For me, sport is such an intimate physical activity and closely linked to my physical and mental well-being. I miss it every day.
This summer, the hypocrisy of France’s hijab ban attracted global attention during the Paris Olympics. The fact that French athletes wearing headscarves were not allowed to compete at the Olympic Games highlighted the racist discrimination that underpins access to sport in France. This has subjected these unfair regulations to greater public scrutiny.
An Amnesty International report published before the Olympic Games made it clear that under international law, “secularism” is not a legitimate reason to impose restrictions on the rights to freedom of expression, religion or belief.
French bans on religious sports headgear contradict the dress rules of international sports bodies such as FIFA (the Fédération Internationale de Football Association), FIBA (the International Basketball Federation) and FIVB (the Fédération Internationale de Football Association). international volleyball). In its research, Amnesty International examined the rules in force in 38 European countries and found that France is the only one to have imposed a ban on religious head coverings.
In October, United Nations experts condemned the bans as “disproportionate and discriminatory” and called for them to be reversed. In a statement delivered to the UN Human Rights Council, the UN special rapporteur on cultural rights said the bans infringe on the rights of Muslim women and girls in France “to freely manifest their identity, their religion or beliefs in private and in public, and to participate in cultural life. UN experts unequivocally called on France to “take all measures at its disposal to protect (Muslim women and girls), safeguard their rights and promote equality and mutual respect for cultural diversity.”
Despite these calls and growing national and international outcry, two bills to ban the hijab in all sports were submitted to the French parliament last year.
Like many others, I will oppose these outrageous proposals and continue our fight to lift the existing bans.
I remain hopeful. I firmly believe that we can come together to defend our rights. Organizations like Amnesty International, the Collective Against Islamophobia in Europe and Lallabthe feminist and anti-racist association of which I am a part must be heard and supported to fight against this gendered Islamophobia.
I would also like to salute the collectives working on inclusiveness in sport such as the Hijabeuses, Sport Pour Tous and Basket Pour Tous and to sincerely thank them for their courage and bravery. This is not a political or religious fight, but one centered on our human right to participate in sport. As we are affected by the violence and oppression we experience, together we create spaces of struggle, care and solidarity to combat this blatant discrimination.
The author’s last name has not been published due to concerns about his privacy and safety.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of Al Jazeera.