Darmanin “very opposed” to wearing the hijab during matches

Gérald Darmanin said Tuesday, June 27 “very opposite” to grant women the right to wear the hijab during football competitions, the day after the examination by the Council of State of an appeal against the French Football Federation (FFF) which prohibits them from playing veiled.

The collective of Hijabeuses challenged Monday before the administrative justice the article 1st of the regulations of the FFF, which prohibits “any wearing of a sign or outfit ostensibly manifesting a political, philosophical, religious or trade union affiliation”. The Minister of the Interior denounced on RTL “community associations”who do not want “not to defend a very noble cause which is freedom of worship” but give “a blow against the Republic”. “You don’t have to wear religious clothes when you play sports. (…) When you play football, you don’t have to know the religion of the person in front of you.” he insisted.

The public rapporteur recommends authorizing the veil

The Council of State will make its decision within three weeks. 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 asked 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 grounds,” assured the Minister of the Interior.

In 2012, Gérald Darmanin, then a UMP deputy, wrote to the sports minister at the time, Valérie Fourneyron, to ban the wearing of the veil on football pitches in France, in response to Fifa’s desire to authorize the wearing of the veil. Since 2014, the world football body has authorized players to play in international competition with their veil.