:Les Hijabeuses
{{Short description|French football advocacy group}}
{{use dmy dates|date=June 2022}}
Les Hijabeuses is a French collective which advocates for the rights of Muslim women to wear hijab while playing association football. The group was founded in May 2020 rising to prominence because of their opposition to legislation which would have codified a ban on wearing hijab while playing organized sports.
History
Les Hijabeuses was founded in 2020 in response to the French Football Federation (FFF) ban on wearing hijab during competitive football games.{{Cite news |last1=Méheut |first1=Constant |last2=Jaques |first2=Monique |date=18 April 2022 |title=The Female Soccer Players Challenging France's Hijab Ban |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/18/sports/soccer/france-hijab-ban-soccer.html |website=The New York Times}} Some members of the collective, which is composed primarily of young Muslim women,{{Cite web |last=Sakho |first=Kadiatou |title=Les Hijabeuses, ces footballeuses qui luttent contre leur mise au banc |url=https://www.liberation.fr/sports/football/les-hijabeuses-ces-footballeuses-qui-luttent-contre-leur-mise-au-banc-20210814_XY42ZJBCXBHJ3KFDUOB27KG6XE/ |access-date=9 May 2022 |website=Libération |language=fr}} had been forced to give up their competitive football careers or faced other opposition when playing because of the FFF ban. Players argued the ban conflicted with FIFA rules which have allowed women to play in hijab since 2014.{{Cite news |last=Williams |first=Jessie |date=21 June 2021 |title=Les Hijabeuses: the female footballers tackling France's on-pitch hijab ban |url=https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2021/jun/21/les-hijabeuses-the-female-footballers-tackling-frances-on-pitch-hijab-ban |access-date=4 May 2022 |website=the Guardian |language=en}} The collective campaigned against the ban and organized a protest at FFF headquarters in July 2021.{{Cite web |last=Durie |first=Alexander |title=Les Hijabeuses: Muslim women footballers tackle French hijab ban |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2021/9/13/les-hijabeuses-muslim-women-footballers-tackle-french-hijab-ban |access-date=4 May 2022 |website=AlJazeera|language=en}}
In January 2022, the Senate voted on and passed a conservative amendment that banned "ostensible religious symbols" in competitive sports, effectively codifying the FFF ban.{{Cite news |last1=Amy |first1=Woodyatt |last2=Bashir |first2=Nada |last3=Mawad |first3=Dalal |title=French lawmakers have proposed a hijab ban in competitive sports. The impact on women could be devastating. |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/01/sport/france-hijab-ban-intl-spt/index.html |access-date=9 May 2022 |website=CNN}} Legislators supporting the amendment claimed that hijabs were tied to radical Islam and the ban was required to maintain secular neutrality. Les Hijabeuses argued that this neutrality conflicted with their freedom to worship.{{Cite web |last=Lacides |first=Luigy |date=26 January 2022 |title=Ces footballeuses jouent devant le Sénat pour réclamer de porter le voile sur le terrain |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.fr/entry/elles-jouent-au-foot-devant-le-senat-pour-lutter-contre-linterdiction-du-voile-dans-les-competitions_fr_61f1670fe4b04f9a12b757c4 |access-date=9 May 2022 |website=Le HuffPost |language=fr}} Les Hijabeuses began lobbying against the amendment attracting public attention, including a letter of support signed by Eric Cantona, Lilian Thuram, and others.{{Cite news |title=Laissez jouer les hijabeuses! |url=https://www.liberation.fr/idees-et-debats/tribunes/laissez-jouer-les-hijabeuses-20220209_UDAAVAFTPJBPHHBMRA4YBQDD4A/?redirected=1 |access-date=9 May 2022 |website=Libération |language=fr}} The amendment was withdrawn when it became clear it would not pass the National Assembly, which is controlled by President Macron's En Marche! (LREM) party.{{Cite web |date=11 February 2022 |title=French Equality Minister backs the right for women to play football in veils |url=https://www.rfi.fr/en/france/20220211-french-equality-minister-backs-the-right-for-women-to-play-football-in-veils |access-date=9 May 2022 |website=RFI |language=en}}
The group's protests have caused controversy within the French government and LREM, as laïcité (secularism) remains a divisive topic.{{Cite web |last=Boichot |first=Loris |date=11 February 2022 |title=La majorité s'emmêle autour du voile dans le sport |url=https://www.lefigaro.fr/politique/hijabeuses-le-gouvernement-desavoue-moreno-selon-qui-les-femmes-ont-le-droit-de-porter-le-voile-sur-un-terrain-de-foot-20220211 |access-date=9 May 2022 |website=LeFigaro |language=fr}} Élisabeth Moreno, France's gender equality minister, spoke out in favor of the group saying that French law did not prohibit playing sports while wearing hijab. Afterwards Gabriel Attal, the spokesperson for President Macron's government, said that Moreno's statements did not reflect the official position of the government. Two other ministers (Bruno Le Maire and Marlène Schiappa) came out in favor of the amendment.
After the Senate amendment was removed, Les Hijabeuses challenged the FFF's rule in front of the Conseil d'État.{{Cite news |last=Trindade |first=Júlia Belas |date=4 May 2022 |title=Moving the Goalposts {{!}} 'It's brutal' – how French football's hijab ban is affecting Muslim women |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2022/may/04/how-french-football-hijab-ban-is-affecting-muslim-women |access-date=4 May 2022 |website=the Guardian |language=en}} On 29 June 2023, the Conseil upheld the ban on playing in hijab.{{cite web |title=French court upholds ban on hijabs at matches |url=https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/37933421/top-french-court-upholds-ban-wearing-hijab-matches |website=ESPN.com |access-date=30 June 2023 |language=en |date=29 June 2023}}{{cite web |title=Le Conseil d'Etat maintient l'interdiction du hijab en compétition de foot |url=https://www.lesechos.fr/politique-societe/politique/le-conseil-detat-maintient-linterdiction-du-hijab-en-competition-de-foot-1957342 |website=Les Echos |access-date=30 June 2023 |language=fr |date=29 June 2023}}{{cite web |title=Football : le Conseil d'État confirme l'interdiction du hijab en compétition |url=https://www.france24.com/fr/france/20230629-football-le-conseil-d-%C3%A9tat-confirme-l-interdiction-du-hijab-pour-les-joueuses |website=France 24 |access-date=30 June 2023 |language=fr |date=29 June 2023}}