Under The Pressure Of Politicians, Decathlon Cancelled The Plan For The French Sports Headscarf.

After more than a dozen politicians called for a boycott, Decathlon, a French sporting goods retailer, cancelled a plan to sell sports hijab in the French market.

Previously, Decathlon launched a simple and lightweight running scarf which only covers the hair and does not cover the face.

The product has been sold in Morocco, and was originally intended to be extended to France and the rest of the world.

In response to RTL radio, health minister Agnes Buzyn said the product was "not legal prohibition", but "this is a female vision I do not agree with". "I would rather choose a French brand that does not promote veil."

Aurore Berge, from the Kadima Party of MP's ruling party, expressed her objection on twitter, saying she would boycott the retailer that she did not respect French values.

"As a woman and citizen, I choose not to believe in a brand that violates our values," she said.

"Those who tolerate their presence in public places only when women are concealed are not lovers of freedom."

At first, Decathlon launched a counterattack, which directly responded to Berge's comments.

"From our point of view, our focus is on democratization of sports," a spokesman wrote.

"In fact, some women wear headscarves to practice running, which is usually not appropriate.

Our goal is simple: to provide them with a modified sports product without any judgement. "

Angelique Thibault, who designs the dress for Decathlon's running brand Kalenji, said she hopes that every woman can run in every community, every city and every country.

No matter her culture. "

However, Decathlon said on twitter that the company received more than 500 phone calls and e-mails on the topic in the morning of February 26th, and the employees of the store were also insulted and threatened, some of them even physically.

In the end, Decathlon succumbed to pressure and announced that the sports scarf would not be sold in France.

Later in February 26th, the company announced in a statement: "in the face of the heated debates and threats arising from this, and beyond our desire to satisfy customer needs, our priority is to find a harmonious situation."

"In this case, we have suspended the plan for the sale of the product in France to ensure the safety of our team."

This controversy is the latest political storm in France for clothing for Muslim women, but not for the first time.

In 2010, the right wing government, then French President Sarkozy, "forbade anyone to masked in public places". The scope of application of the articles includes: prohibiting the wearing of face mask, helmet, helmet, Barack hat and frock in public sphere.

Those who support the Ordinance believe that this facilitates the identification of identities in public places and achieves the purpose of public safety.

However, this aroused the opposition of human rights organizations. They believed that the act was stigmatization of Muslim women and violated personal freedom.

The ban on masked legislation came into force in April 11, 2011.

This Law applies to all French citizens, including men, women, and Muslims and non muslims.

Motorcycle riders and wearing dangerous protective workers are not in the legal norm.

Meanwhile, the law allows Muslim women to wear traditional robe in private cars and Islamic mosques.

But France banned Nikab and Boca from 2010, but did not restrict hijab.

In 2016, a number of mayors in the coastal towns of France issued a beach ban to ban the wearing of the cloth or the whole bathing suit.

It is a female swimsuit that only exposs the front face, hands and feet. It fits the Islamic rules for women's clothing, but it is light enough for swimming.

Although these prohibitions were quickly ruled out by the Supreme Court of France, France's La? CIT e principle triggered heated discussions.

La? CIT e is plated as "separation of politics and religion" or "secularism". In France, it is a principle of constitutional effect. It is based on the promulgation of the secular law of separation of politics and religion in 1905. This Law announces that the state protects the freedom of religion and guarantees the freedom of the right to believe in all kinds of faith.

This law has been amended many times, but it has never touched the separation of religion from politics, but it is fundamental to protect citizens' freedom of religious belief.

Under the principle of separation of religion from politics, France insisted that the state should maintain a strict neutrality towards religion. In 2004, it banned the "public signs" of religious signs in public schools, including Muslim headscarves, Jewish caps, big crosses and so on, but at that time it was allowed to wear headscarves in universities.

Staff in the public sector should not wear veils or other religious symbols in their work.

Human rights groups warn that politicians are distorting and misinterpreting the principle of political interest and use this principle to deliberately target Muslims after a series of terrorist attacks.

Fiona Lazaar, a maklan middle party member, posted a message on twitter saying that Decathlon's withdrawal of the product was regrettable, and it succumbed to the boycott of "racist threats and unbridled Islamist phobia".

On the issue of religious debate, France international radio station said in April last year: "today, not secularization is in danger, but a different opinion caused by the exclusiveness of secularization."

Laura Youkana, a spokeswoman for the French Muslim feminist group Lallab, said the incident showed "huge contradictions".

She pointed out that ironically, this product, like the one of the women, is an evidence of more and more Muslim women seeking public participation, rather than evidence of withdrawal from public life.

She said in an interview: "those women who have the right to attack scarves are actually women who can engage in sports, and sports are liberating women."

"This is very symbolic," Youkana said when talking about scarves.

"This allows all women to participate in sports."

Author: Jiang Tianya