I just spent a week in Paris. It was stunningly beautiful as the city prepared for the Olympic Games. We left the country just as Paris implemented a rule for pedestrians (or runners like me) — not allowing them to mill its beautiful streets without a pass that was being scanned by local police officers.
Paris is racially and culturally diverse. It is one of the reasons it appeals to my family — we see ourselves in that diverse community. As a human-rights lawyer and Muslim woman, however, I am saddened by the French from the Summer Games.
While I do not wear the hijab, I respect and admire what it means to Muslim women who wear it. So yes, this is my issue. France absurdly tags this summer’s Olympics as the first — while blatantly blocking access to the games for hijab-wearing athletes.
Muslim athletes in France have been told to pick either their sport or their faith. This is coerced captivity for Muslim athletes as the country publicly flouts its discrimination of them on the world stage for everyone to watch. I cannot help but fear what the long-term impact will be for young hijab-wearing Muslims in France.
The participation of women in sports has always contained its own roadblocks and now young Muslim women will cower under the weight of France’s bold declaration: your hijab has no space in sports and we do not want you to represent us. Whether or not they are participating in the Olympics, Muslim women athletes looking to reclaim their identity through sport .