Australian boxer hits out at ‘sad’ French rules over hijab at Paris Olympics

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Australian boxer Tina Rahimi has criticised France’s “sad” rules on secularism and athletes wearing the hijab at the Paris Olympics.

Muslim French sprinter Sounkamba Sylla stated that wearing a hijab would prevent her from appearing in Friday's Opening Ceremony.

While the French Olympic Committee said Sylla accepted the option of wearing a cap instead. The host nation, home to Europe's largest Muslim minority, enforces laws to protect the principle of secularism under which state employees and school pupils are banned from wearing religious symbols and clothing in public institutions.

And featherweight Rahimi, who has a first-round bye and will fight on 2 August as the first Muslim woman to box for Australia at the Olympics, sympathised with French athletes.

Rights groups maintain the rules effectively discriminate against Muslims, although foreign athletes are not affected by the secularism rules.

“It's sad, with the French rules and that whole situation," Rahimi told Reuters. “I mean, as proud as I am to be here, I think in my heart I feel sad that I'm able to be here with my hijab and the other French athletes and people aren't.

“I still feel for the French athletes and I just hope that it can be overturned for them and they can participate and every woman can feel free in how they want to dress.

“It means a lot to me to be here as a representation of my faith, and to display to other women out there, in particular hijabi women, that they can participate in sport and feel welcome.

“I think that's really, really important. That's what everyone wants to feel, they want to go somewhere and feel like they're included and they're not being discriminated against.”

In response to Sylla’s post, Amelia Oudea-Castera, minister for sport and the Olympic and Paralympic Games, had claimed the hosts were looking into a “inventive” solution.

“Our citizens expect us to follow these principles of secularism,” Oudea-Castera said.. “But we also need to be inventive about solutions to make everyone feel good,” Amelia Oudea-Castera, minister for sport and the Olympic and Paralympic Games, said on Wednesday, adding that Sylla “understands our principles, our rules”.

David Lappartient, president of the French Olympic Committee, said the French Olympic team was “taking part in a public service mission and in this respect it is obliged to observe secularism”.

Reuters contributed to this report