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The United Nations Human Rights Office has criticized the French government for banning French sportswomen from wearing the hijab at next year's Paris Olympics.
" No one should impose on a woman what she should wear or not wear ," said Maria Hurtado, spokeswoman for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
" In general, according to the committee for the elimination of discrimination against women, each state party to the convention, in this case France, has the obligation to take all appropriate measures to modify any social or cultural model that is based on the idea of inferiority or superiority of to each gender ," added Hurtado.
" It must be said that discriminatory practices against a group can have harmful consequences. This is why, according to international human rights standards, restrictions on the expression of religions or beliefs, such as clothing choices are only acceptable in truly specific circumstances that address legitimate concerns for public safety, public order or public health or morals in a necessary and proportionate manner," she added.
Hurtado's comments came after French Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra said on Sunday that French athletes would not be allowed to wear the hijab at next year's Paris Olympics, arguing in favor of "a strict regime of secularism, of applied rigorously in the field of sports."
The ministry's press office told CNN that the minister "simply restated the law," referring to a court ruling in June to uphold a ban on wearing the hijab during soccer games. According to the decision at the beginning of this year, "the principle of neutrality of the public service applies to sports federations which are responsible for a public service.
The ministry said that "in accordance" with that decision, "the French teams are subject to the principle of neutrality of the public service, from the moment of selection for this purpose in all national and international competitions". "Thus, no one can wear a headscarf (or any other accessory or clothing that demonstrates a religious affiliation) when representing France in a national or international sports competition," he added.
She added that the rules that apply to other athletes will be set by each international federation, under the supervision of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
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