The day after the examination by the Council of State of an appeal against the French Football Federation (FFF) which prohibits players from wearing the veil during football competitions, Gérald Darmanin said Tuesday “very opposed” to grant them this right.
The Hijabeuses collective challenged Monday before the administrative justice article 1 of the FFF regulations which prohibits “any wearing of a sign or outfit ostensibly manifesting a political, philosophical, religious or trade union affiliation”.
The public rapporteur of the Council of State in favor of wearing
The Minister of the Interior denounced on RTL “community associations” which want “not to defend a very noble cause which is freedom of worship”, but to give “a blow to the Republic”.
“You don’t have to wear religious clothes when you play sports. […] When we play football, we don’t have to know the religion of the person in front of us,” he insisted. The Council of State will make its decision within three weeks.
“I am totally mobilized with the Minister of Sports Amélie Oudéa-Castéra for the strict respect of our republican principles in sport, in particular secularism and the neutrality of public service”, declared the Prime Minister before the Assembly. national, during the session of the questions to the government. Right and extreme right strongly criticized this hypothesis of an authorization to wear the hijab on football fields, and called for legislation if necessary.
During the hearing, the public rapporteur, who says the law and whose opinion is generally followed, went in the direction of the collective. He recommended the cancellation of this article 1 and requested that the FFF modify its regulations.
“The Council of State is an extremely wise body. I deeply hope for the Republic that they will keep neutrality on the sports fields, “concluded the minister.
In 2012, Gérald Darmanin, then a UMP deputy, wrote to the Minister of Sports at the time, Valérie Fourneyron, to ban the wearing of the veil on football pitches in France, in response to Fifa’s desire to to allow. Since 2014, the world football body has authorized players to play in international competition with their veil.