The two countries have a mutual defence treaty dating back to 1951, which could be invoked if either side came under attack, including in the South China Sea
world3 days ago
United Nations rights experts on Monday slammed decisions in France barring women and girls who wear the Muslim headscarf from sports competitions as "discriminatory", demanding they be reversed.
France invoked its strict rules on secularism to ban its athletes from wearing religious symbols, including the hijab, during the Paris 2024 Olympics.
And France's football and basketball federations have also opted to exclude players wearing the headscarf from competitions, including at the amateur level.
These decisions "are disproportionate and discriminatory, and infringe on their rights (of French athletes) to freely manifest their identity, their religion or belief in private and in public, and to take part in cultural life," said a statement signed by eight independent UN experts.
"Muslim women and girls who wear the hijab must have equal rights to participate in cultural and sporting life, and to take part in all aspects of French society of which they are a part," they said.
The statement was signed by the UN special rapporteurs on cultural rights, on minority issues, and on freedom of religion and belief, and members of the UN working group on discrimination against women and girls.
They are independent experts appointed by the UN Human Rights Council, but who do not speak on behalf of the United Nations.
France's laws on secularism are intended to keep the state neutral in religious matters, while guaranteeing citizens the right to freely practice their religion.
Among other things, they prohibit pupils and teachers in schools as well as civil servants from wearing "ostentatious" religious symbols.
But the experts insisted that "the neutrality and secular nature of the state are not legitimate grounds for imposing restrictions on the rights to freedom of expression and freedom of religion or belief".
"Any limitations of these freedoms must be proportionate, necessary to reach one of the objectives stated in international law (safety, health and public order, the rights and freedoms of others), and justified by facts...and not by presumptions, assumptions or prejudices," they said.
"In a context of intolerance and strong stigmatisation of women and girls who choose to wear the hijab, France must take all measures at its disposal to protect them, to safeguard their rights, and to promote equality and mutual respect for cultural diversity."
The two countries have a mutual defence treaty dating back to 1951, which could be invoked if either side came under attack, including in the South China Sea
world3 days ago
Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu conferred the Grand Commander of the Order of Niger on Narendra Modi in Abuja on Sunday
world3 days ago
The titleholder's winning answer focused on using each individual's strengths
world4 days ago
The suspects would be interrogated jointly with the Shin Bet internal security agency, police said
world4 days ago
The attack took place at the Wuxi Vocational Institute of Arts and Technology in Jiangsu province
world4 days ago
More than 650,000 people have fled their homes ahead of the super typhoon, which is expected to make landfall late Saturday or early Sunday
world4 days ago
The New York Times reported on Friday that Musk, who is a close ally of President-elect Donald Trump, met earlier this week with Iran's ambassador to the UN
world5 days ago
The tremor occurred at 9.28am UAE time, according to the National Seismic Network
world6 days ago