French Lawmakers Clash Over Religious Symbols in Sports Bill

Consensus is hard to come by around the draft law "aimed at democratizing sport in France". Yet the National Assembly had already adopted the bill, which was widely amended by the senators before being passed by the Senate on January 19, 2022. But the version submitted to the Joint Committee (CMP) composed of seven deputies and seven senators on Monday, January 31, 2022, underwent some modifications and could not reach unanimity.

At the heart of the disagreement, "the ban on wearing religious symbols for participation in sporting events and competitions organized by sports federations and affiliated associations". Senator Michel Savin, who introduced this amendment, believes that the responsibility for this failure lies entirely with the deputies who "refuse any discussion on secularism".

In a press release, he stressed that "French law explicitly provides that the wearing of signs or clothing by which persons openly manifest a religious affiliation during sports competitions organized by sports federations is prohibited".

The bill will be re-examined in the National Assembly on February 9 and 10. For his part, Belkhir Belhaddad, responsible for the bill for the LREM group, "regrets this overbidding contrary to the spirit of sport, and commits to a return of the text in its initial version".

On the issue of the ban on wearing the veil during sports competitions, the "Les Hijabeuses" collective, led by the Citizen Alliance, has launched a petition against the Senate amendment. More than 50,000 signatures have already been collected.