Marwan Muhammad, former president of the Collective Against Islamophobia in France (CCIF), has accused French authorities of using secularism as a tool to suppress Muslim women and erase Islamic identity from public spaces, Turkish Anadolu Agency reported.
Muhammad, known for his activism against Islamophobia, stated that far-right politicians avoid openly calling for the expulsion of Muslims but instead push for “reaffirming secularism,” a term he claims has become a coded message for targeting the Muslim community.
He warned that increasing restrictions on Muslims in France are undermining human rights and democratic values, with Muslim women being the most affected. “Everyone now recognizes that Muslim women face systemic marginalization, with the hijab being used as a pretext to exclude them from education, employment, sports, and cultural activities,” he said.
Policies banning hijabs in schools and workplaces have significantly impacted Muslim women’s social and professional lives, further limiting their freedom of expression and participation in society. Muhammad argued that Muslim women are often accused of having a hidden political agenda simply for wearing the hijab in public.
He also criticized France’s counter-extremism policies, which he said are sometimes used as justification to target Muslims, citing the closure of several mosques as an example. Muhammad described these actions as a response to far-right demands.
The controversy over religious symbols in France has intensified, with the Senate recently approving a law banning the hijab in all sports competitions. France has previously banned the hijab in public schools (2004), the niqab and burqa in public spaces (2010), and last year prohibited the abaya in schools, deeming it a religious symbol.
