French sportswear retailer Decathlon has given up on its plans to sell hijab for women runners in France following a public outcry.
The outfit, designed to increase “comfort” when practising sports, has already hit the Morocco market and was set to hit the French stores next month.
However, French politicians Lydia Guirous and François-Xavier Bellamy argued that hijabs should not be normalized in French society, as they symbolize women’s submission to men.
Although hijabs are not prohibited by French law, they remain a sensitive topic in the country, especially following the Charlie Hebdo shooting and terror attacks of 2015, both perpetrated by Muslim fundamentalists.
Commenting on the controversy, Decathlon said on Twitter: “We want to democratize the practice of sports. It’s a fact that many women run wearing hijabs which are not suitable for running. Our goal was simple: to propose a product specifically adapted to this purpose, without judgment”.
However, the backlash was so strong that the brand had to choose otherwise. “We are making the decision… to not market this product in France at this time,” Decathlon spokesman Xavier Rivoire told a radio station recently.
Ironically, Nike already sells a sports hijab called “Nike Pro” all over the world, including France, since 2017.
