AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States, has condemned the Islamophobic remarks made by Yaël Braun-Pivet, President of the French National Assembly, concerning the prohibition of hijabi women’s presence in the country’s parliament.
Referring to the presence of hijabi visitors in the parliament, Braun-Pivet called for “the utmost vigilance to prevent such occurrences from happening again.”
In a statement, CAIR said the remarks “reflect a deeply troubling level of prejudice and intolerance in France,” adding, “Instead of promoting coexistence and respect for religious freedoms, such bigoted statements further marginalize the vulnerable Muslim community and fuel anti-Muslim hatred.”
The organization stressed that French leaders should uphold universal principles of freedom and equality rather than policing the dress of Muslim women.
CAIR also highlighted its ongoing efforts to combat Islamophobic legislation across Europe, noting that it had previously welcomed the Swiss government’s decision to reject a proposed hijab ban in schools and urged the Portuguese Parliament to do the same with a similar bill.
The organization further denounced Austria’s plan to ban the hijab for girls under 14 as “discriminatory and authoritarian” and expressed concern over multiple incidents of anti-Muslim violence in Germany, Spain, and France.
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