Student Spectrums

So many efforts to improve gender inequality, yet Muslim women in Western countries, like France are prohibited from wearing hijabs during Olympics. Isn’t this systemic discrimination and gender inequality and a solid example of Islamophobia? As a Muslim woman and hijabi in the US, I feel threatened. Whenever I play sports, I recall the injustice with Muslim women. I also fear that in the same field in which I am standing currently, I might be excluded from a team solely because of my faith. I walk in with a heavy heart, thinking about the inequality aimed toward Muslim women which one day might be directed to me as well. No woman should ever be prohibited from following their faith whether in sports or any other field. Freedom of speech and religion are the fundamental rights of every human and no woman should be deprived of it. 

At the 2024 Olympic Games, France banned Muslim women from wearing any type of head covering when they compete for France. This divergence has been going on for 20 years and should’ve been shrinking over time but instead it is rooted so deeply, that it continues to persist, and will persist in the future if any appropriate and immediate action is not taken against this. According to Amnesty International “The bans undermine efforts to make sports more inclusive and mean that Muslim players and athletes who wear a hijab in France will continue to be discriminated against.” As a Muslim woman, I feel like these hijab bans violate Muslim womens’ human rights and defy Olympic values. 

In all countries people are made to believe in gender equality, however when I look at this circumstance, specifically this one in France, I don’t even see a percent of justice for women in these sports. These laws should be changed because they are forcing women to select between their faith and passion. The mentality of French people towards Muslims should alter as well. Assma, a 27 year old volleyball player says “We can’t breathe anymore. Even sports, we can’t do them anymore.” These laws aren’t benefiting anyone, instead they are simply violating freedom of expression and religion. They are a way of controlling womens’ choices and their bodies also. And this is just another form of gender based, racist violence. 

According to Shireen Ahmed, “France claims that secularism, which is at the heart of French identity, is at risk of being compromised by Muslim women in headscarves on the field of play. And because the country has determined that athletes representing France are technically public servants, then a strict regime of secularism is required.” As a Muslim woman, I believe that these hijab bans are discouraging women to freely participate and enjoy sports. Further because of the hijab bans in Western countries, I feel threatened that one day I might be prohibited from wearing my hijab and restricted from achieving my dreams in sports, passionately. 

Since freedom of speech and religion are the fundamental rights of every human, why are these women still deprived of this? Western countries like France are forcing female athletes to choose between their passion and religion. If they chose their passion, they can’t pursue it with their own freedom and if they chose their religion, they have to simply leave behind their dreams. This situation is like imprisoning a bird. Because freedom is being taken away from both. I strongly believe that this act should halt because it is neither ethical nor just. All these bans against women in sports should be removed, for them to live their life, freely, without any discrimination.