In Le Vrai du Faux Junior, the meeting to verify and decipher information carried out with middle school and high school students, the students come back to information that they have seen on social networks around the wearing of the veil in the sports competition. These publications take place in a context of mobilization of a collective for the right to wear the veil in all sports, but also of debates in Parliament around an amendment to the Sports law, proposed by the group Les Républicains, aimed at banning “the wearing of conspicuous religious symbols” during “sporting events and sports competitions organized by sports federations”. These sequences caused confusion and questions among the students. Nicolas Cadène answers them. He is the former president of the Observatoire de la laïcité, co-founder of the Vigil de la laïcité and author of a book entitled “Ending with misconceptions about secularism”.
“I saw a post on instagram about the veil in sport. says Anais. Is it true that the veil will be banned in French sports competitions? ? ”
Nicolas Cadène denies. No, the veil will not be banned in general in the various French sports competitions. On the other hand, he points out, the different federations define what are the regulatory outfits for this or that sport practiced in competition and, in this context, the wearing of certain accessories or certain signs, in particular religious, may be prohibited for reasons of hygiene, safety or respect rules of the game of the sport concerned. So in France, some federations prohibit the wearing of headgear which can act as a veil when other federations authorize it. This will depend on the regulatory outfits of the different sports concerned..”
The veil can thus, at this stage in any case, be prohibited in competition in football, within the framework of what is governed by the French Football Federation, but authorized or tolerated in other sports.
The ban on wearing the veil in competition for reasons of hygiene or safety leads to other questions from the students. “I wonder why some sports prohibit the wearing of the veil for reasons of hygiene? “, wonders Marion.
“There are sports for which wearing a veil can pose real health and safety problems when it is not adapted to certain sports practices.“, replies Nicolas Cadène. For example, he says, “a long veil can create strangulations in close sports, judo or other. It can also pose hygiene problems in swimming pool sports for example, when it can contain materials that are not clean, dirt so yes in certain sports there can be hygiene and safety issues that require at least one accessory adapted to the regulatory dress which can act as a veil, but must be adapted to the regulatory dress “.
Some political figures, including within the government, have nevertheless put forward a wish to ban the veil in sports competitions in connection with the defense of secularism. Hence this question from Anaïs to Nicolas Cadène:
“Can the veil and secularism coexist together in society?
“ There is no incompatibility between religious signs, including the veil and secularism ” answers him co-founder of the Vigilance of secularism. Nicolas Cadène specifies that secularism is not a belief or an opinion. “It is a framework common to all, whether one is a non-believer or a believer. This common framework allows us to express our differences, while respecting each other and respecting the collective framework. We all have the same rights and the same duties, whatever our beliefs or convictions.. Furthermore, he adds, secularism imposes neutrality, that is to say the prohibition to wear religious symbols only to those who represent the State and the public administration. In addition, visible signs will be prohibited for pupils in public schools, colleges and high schools because they are in the learning phase so that they can freely develop their critical thinking, their own opinions, in particular on religion, without pressure from the other students”. If nothe continues, secularism imposes neutrality only on those who represent the public administration because it represents everyone, is at the service of everyone and should obviously not show a preference for this or that belief or non-belief. It must be impartial and treat all citizens equally. So the public administration is neutral but the citizens themselves are quite free to wear religious symbols.“
“Which countries allow the veil in sports competitions and which prohibit it?“, wonders Anaïs
Nicolas Cadène begins by emphasizing that the countries are not responsible for authorizing or prohibiting religious symbols in sports competitions. “These are the sports federations“who may be required to do so,”again with regard to the regulatory outfits according to the sport practiced. In the factshe adds, abroad, to my knowledge, there is no ban as such on wearing the veil, as long as it is worn like any accessory that would be compatible with the rules of the game, with hygiene and safety rules, such as an open hood or a tight cap or a protective helmet. Concerning the IOC, at the level of the Olympic Games, the Organizing Committee leaves the States which send their delegations to the Olympic Games to do as they see fit from this point of view”.
Enora has another question related to what is happening in other countries around the world. ” Is it true that France is the only country to proclaim secularism or to exercise secularism? “
“No that’s not true, replies Nicolas Cadène. ” There are many other countries that are secular. There are not the same secularism systems all the time. There are countries that are very close to France in terms of secularism. There are even countries that adopted secular laws before France. Ihe former president of the Observatory of Secularism gives the example of Mexico which adopted its secular model as early as the 1850s.”Francehe adds, was even inspired by Mexican works and Mexicans were inspired by French revolutionaries even if the word secularism did not exist. We could also mention Albania, which is a secular country very close to us, or Uruguay. These are quite different countries, which can be predominantly Christian or predominantly Muslim. I have quoted you countries which have majorities within the populations and at the level of completely different beliefs.