Muslim Journalist Challenges French Press Card Hijab Ban

Manal Fkihi, 25 years old, believes that this rule is discriminatory and hinders her professional practice. "It is important to accept us as we are," she told the Reuters agency.

The CCIJP justified its refusal by invoking the need to respect the same standards as for passport photos, where the wearing of the veil is also prohibited in France. The commission, which points out that it is not a state body, nevertheless specifies that it applies the same standards as official documents in the context of its missions on behalf of the State. Harmonization with the passport format would, according to it, guarantee better security.

The journalist plans to appeal to the CCIJP, then to take the administrative court in case of failure. She defends the idea that the press card is a professional tool and not an identity document, and that the ban on the veil constitutes an attack on her freedom of conscience and expression.

Manal Fkihi also revealed that she had been offered a television journalist position on the condition that she remove her hijab. "It’s absurd," she lamented. "They want our skills, but without our identity."