France has banned hijab-wearing sprinter Sounkamba Sylla from participating in the Olympic opening ceremony. The frustrated 26-year-old 400-meter and mixed relay athlete revealed this on Instagram.
Also, some of her teammates in the French Olympic team have expressed anger over the decision. But the French Olympic Committee have explained their position while offering to find a way out.
The Sounkamba Sylla Ban
Sylla has disclosed via social media that she isn’t permitted to feature in the games’ opening ceremony on Friday, July 26, 2024, because of her hijab.
The embattled French athlete, who was disturbed by the decision, took to her Instagram page to lament about it. She believes she is a victim of discrimination and has the right to practice her Islamic faith.
Sounkamba Sylla’s Instagram Post
In her Instagram post on Sunday, July 21, 2024, she wrote, “You are selected for the Olympics, organized in your country, but you can’t participate in the opening ceremony because you wear a headscarf.”
The post has sparked outrage from fans, many of whom lashed out at the French Olympic Committee for the decision. Sounkamba Sylla’s post also attracted sympathy from fellow athletes.
Support From Teammates
Fortunately for Sounkamba Sylla, fellow French Olympians were among the athletes who were moved by her post. One of them, Marie-Julie Bonnin, a pole vaulter, added her voice.
“I can’t believe it,” Bonnin commented. Another of Sylla’s French teammates, Muhammad Abdallah Kounta, said, “Liberty, equality, fraternity, they say,” quoting the French national motto. “Please share this. This is not normal,” he added.
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French Authorities Provide Explanation
Following the backlash from Sylla’s post, the French Olympic Committee has responded to the matter. According to the committee’s president, David Lappartient, all French Olympians must adhere to secular standards just like every public worker in France.
He explained that France has a principle of separating the state and religion. Unfortunately for Sylla, a ban on hijab is one of its provisions.
The French Government Announced the Measure in 2023
This decision follows the previous announcement by the nation’s sports minister last year. In September 2023, the minister, Amelie Oudea-Castera, declared that no athlete representing the country could display any religious symbols during the games.
The minister specifically mentioned that “The representatives of our delegations in our French teams will not wear the veil.”
Will the Policy Affect Only Sounkamba Sylla?
The French government appears pretty serious with its plans to implement the popular laicite (or secularism) laws to rid the government of any religious ties.
However, these rules will only apply to French sportsmen and sportswomen. But there is a great chance that the presence of hundreds of foreign scarf-wearing athletes who will participate in the event could pressure the French authorities to soften their stance.
What Will the French Delegation Wear at the Olympic Opening Ceremony?
For Sounkamba Sylla, this would be the first time she would experience this level of religious restriction. Previously, she had competed in high-profile sporting events wearing a black headscarf. However, she first encountered resistance earlier this year, just before the European Championship in Rome. As a result, she was forced to wear a blue cap instead.
During Friday’s opening ceremony, the French delegation will wear uniforms produced by home-based luxury brand Berluti.
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Does the Ban Against Sounkamba Sylla Violate IOC Regulations?
A few days after the French sports minister’s announcement, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) released a statement to offer clarification. The IOC had earlier removed hijab restrictions from the athletes’ camp.
However, activists expect the body to overrule the French policy. This call intensified after concerned bodies discovered that the French rule contradicts IOC regulations, which discourage all forms of discrimination against women.
Rights Groups Kick
Activists and rights groups have also opposed the French government policy. They’ve called on the government to shift ground or reverse its decision. The groups have referred to the decision as discriminatory and likely to leave Muslim sportspersons “invisible, excluded, and humiliated.”
Expectedly, the United Nations has also waded into the matter. The body released a statement saying that “no one should impose on a woman what she needs to wear, or not to wear.”
Criticism and Calls for Boycott
Aside from calls for the policy to be reversed, several social media comments have called on other countries to boycott the event.
One comment read, “Oh no…We’ll have to boycott the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris as the minister of sports just explained that French athletes won’t be able to wear the hijab. Is it also for foreign athletes!?! If yes, then the American Ibtihaj Muhammad couldn’t have won her bronze medal.”
The Committee Is in Talks With Sounkamba Sylla to Find a Solution
Speaking further on the state and religion separation policy and its global perception, Lappartient said, “It’s sometimes not understandable in other countries in the world, but it’s part of our DNA here in France.”
He, however, added that the country’s Olympic committee is holding talks with Sylla. Hopefully, both parties will find a solution that will accommodate Sylla’s “legitimate wish that her beliefs are respected,” he stated.
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