(Politico) French Prime Minister François Bayrou convened key Cabinet members on Tuesday after divisions among ministers over banning athletes from wearing hijabs during sporting events spilled into public view.
“There’s only one line within the government … no visible religious symbols should be worn in sports competitions,” French Minister for Gender Equality Aurore Bergé said in parliament after the meeting, seemingly settling the government’s position.
Religious symbols have been banned in elementary and secondary schools since 2004 but remained allowed in universities.
Earlier this year, the French Senate voted in favor of a proposal to ban “symbols or clothing ostensibly displaying a political or religious affiliation” in sports due to their educational role in “teaching cooperation and respect for common rules.”
