French Airports Forcing Muslim Women to Remove Veil

The growing injustices of French Government against its Muslim citizens are on high. The airports in France are forcing Muslim women to take off their hijab.

The incidents have triggered outrage in France's Muslim community for ignoring the religious minority’s personal freedoms as reported in Today’s Zaman.


In the report Narin Yuksel told Zaman that “I am 65. What could there be under the headscarf of a 65-year-old woman?” Narin is one of the women who were asked to remove their headscarves at Nantes Atlantique Airport.

She further said “they told me that I would not be able to board my plane if I don't take off my headscarf.”

The report further says that Muslim women problem started two weeks ago when the Collective Against Islamophobia in France (CCIF) announced that Nantes Atlantique Airport has made it obligatory for veiled women to take off their hijab and place it in the X-ray machine along with their other belongings.

The practice was applied by the SGA, the company responsible for Nantes Atlantique Airport's security.

Airport officers asked women to remove their hijab at the conveyor with other belongings.

When women asked to be allowed to take hijab off in a special room for women only, their request was rejected.

The women were told that they must place their headscarves on the conveyor going through the X-ray machine if they wanted to avoid missing their plane.

“When we asked them to do the security check in a special room, they threatened to call the police if my mom didn't take off her headscarf,” Yüksel's daughter Hatice said.

The SGA defended their actions, claiming that dangerous materials could be hidden under the headscarves, which has triggered outrage in France's Muslim community.

According to EU airport security regulations, security staff do not have the authority to ask women to take their headscarves off.

Take By: Siasat News