Lyon Sports Hall Reverses Ban on Hijabs Following Activist Pressure

This is a victory for the activists of the Citizen Alliance collective. Supported by trade unionists and members of feminist movements, they had demonstrated in early July against the ban on wearing the hijab. "Congratulations to the management of this brand who, following our action, have respected their commitments and sent us their response today, certifying that sports hijabs would now be allowed in their halls," they rejoice on their Facebook page. They invite the other sports halls that continue to prohibit the wearing of the headscarf to fall in line, reports Le Progrès.

This action is part of a campaign in favor of the "civil rights of Muslim women". According to Loubna, who is an activist, "it is a fight to say: stop dictating to us what we must wear". But the fight is not perceived the same way by everyone. The blogger Naem Bestandji disapproves and openly criticizes the substance and the method used. "They arrogate the representativeness of all Muslim women, making extremism pure and simple, as all Islamists do." She believes that beyond "locking them under a veil, the radicality of these activists also locks them in their slogans". They thus want to reduce all Muslim women to "their religious sexism to make believe that all Muslim women would be stigmatized and targeted by a discriminatory internal regulation".

The Citizen Alliance Grand Lyon had already made headlines last summer by pleading for the authorization of the burkini in municipal swimming pools. Today, it claims more than 300 supporters in Greater Lyon. The collective brings together people from very diverse backgrounds, the same source specifies.