French woman runner banned from Olympics inauguration due to hijab

Pars Today- Sonkamba Silla, French woman runner was barred from the Paris 2024 Olympics inauguration ceremony because of wearing hijab.

Muslim runner, Sonkamba Silla, announced that she had been prevented from attending the Olympics inauguration because of wearing hijab. According to Pars Today, head of the French Olympic Committee (FOC), David Lapartian, had said that the women athletes of this country are not entitled to wear hijab during the Olympic games.

Marta Hurtado, Spokeswoman of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, in statement that was issued on September 26, 2023, said that this banning is "incorrect".

The FOC claimed that it is looking for a way to settle the issue. This 26-year-old runner, who was going to compete in 400-meter track, wrote on Instagram after being banned in the opening ceremony, "Suppose that you have been chosen for the Olympics held in your country, but you have no right to attend."

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Amnesty International announced in a statement on July 16 that hijab ban indicates the existence of "double standard and discriminatory policy in France". This statement reads that the mentioned ban violates international regulations.

This international body also stressed that hijab ban shows "discriminatory duplicity" of French officials and "weakness" of the IOC in these games.

The summer Olympic games started on Friday July 26 in Paris and will continue till August 11.

Key phrases: French Muslim runner, hijab ban in Paris Olympics, double and discriminatory standard in French policy

RM/ME