Muslim Emmaüs Volunteer Barred from Charente Prefecture Meeting Over Headscarf

The activist was unable to participate in a meeting at the Charente prefecture on June 18 because she was wearing a headscarf. She explains to Charente Libre the sequence of events. "We had an appointment at 2 pm. I first dropped off my deputy director, Johanna Ream, in front of the gates, before going to find a parking space since we were a few minutes late. I come back and I pass the first gate of the prefecture. I enter the hall, I sign in and they make me wait," she details.

Ilham Bouhadjar is then taken to Juliette Bruneau, sub-prefect of Confolens who makes her understand "that she cannot let me in because I have a veil on my head." "She looked extremely embarrassed... I immediately retort that it is a headscarf. She explained to me ’with what is happening’ (the electoral context, editor’s note), I could not participate in the meeting."

The co-president of Emmaüs Ruffec