Amnesty International has called on French lawmakers to reject a proposed bill that would ban headscarves in sports competitions.

The bill, backed by right-wing senators, is set for debate in the French parliament’s upper house this week. It seeks to prohibit all "ostensibly religious" clothing and symbols in competitive events.

Amnesty International has criticized the legislation as discriminatory, arguing that it violates religious freedom. The vote is expected to reignite France’s ongoing debate on secularism, a principle rooted in the 1905 law separating church and state.

Currently, French sports federations have the authority to decide whether headscarves are allowed. However, soccer and rugby have already imposed bans. This bill aims to extend such restrictions across all sports.

At this stage, the bill faces a long and uncertain legislative process. Even if the Senate approves it, the final decision rests with the lower house, where political divisions could make passing the legislation difficult.

Amnesty International’s appeal follows claims by French sprinter Sounkamba Sylla that she was initially barred from the Paris Olympics opening ceremony last summer due to her hijab. She was later permitted to participate while wearing a cap to cover her hair.

France upholds a strict principle of laïcité, or secularism. During the Games, the president of the French Olympic Committee stated that French Olympians must adhere to the same secular rules as public sector workers, which include bans on hijabs and other religious symbols.

“At the Paris Olympics, France’s ban on hijab-wearing female athletes sparked international outrage," said Anna Błuś, Amnesty International’s gender justice researcher. "Just six months later, authorities are not only reinforcing this discriminatory ban but also attempting to extend it to all sports.”

UN Human Rights Council experts have previously criticized bans imposed by France’s soccer and basketball federations, as well as the government’s decision to prevent athletes from wearing hijabs while representing the country at the Games.

Amnesty International argues that the proposed bill specifically targets Muslim women and girls by excluding them from competitive sports if they wear headscarves or other religious attire.

"Laïcité, intended to safeguard religious freedom, has often been misused to restrict Muslim women’s access to public spaces in France," the organization said.

It further noted that over the years, French authorities have introduced laws and policies regulating Muslim women’s clothing in a discriminatory manner, with sports federations following suit by enforcing hijab bans.

In 2022, France’s highest administrative court ruled that the national soccer federation could prohibit headscarves in competitions, even though such a ban limits freedom of expression.

Invoking religious neutrality, the soccer federation also imposes strict rules that complicate participation for international players observing Ramadan, restricting accommodations for fasting athletes.

Supporters of the bill argue that growing challenges to secularism in sports threaten its core values of universality. They claim that maintaining neutrality in sports venues is necessary to prevent non-sporting confrontations and ensure that political, religious, or racial expressions are not promoted.

The bill also proposes banning the use of sports facilities for religious purposes and prohibits religious attire, such as the burkini, in public swimming pools.

"By framing the hijab as a threat to secularism—on a scale ranging from ‘permissiveness’ to ‘terrorism’—this legislation would fuel racism and intensify the already hostile environment facing Muslims and those perceived as Muslim in France," Amnesty International warned.