French channel CNews has come underneath heavy fireplace for unleashing a barrage of Islamophobic remarks geared toward Moroccan soccer participant Nouhaila Benzina and her groundbreaking resolution to put on a hijab in the course of the ongoing 2023 Women’s World Cup.
Columnist Philippe Guibert’s incendiary commentary on the HDPros present not solely condemned her selection but additionally launched a scathing assault, labeling the hijab as an “incredible regression.”
Guibert’s deeply offensive remarks struck on the coronary heart of the matter, suggesting that Nouhaila’s hijab sends a message of immodesty to her teammates, insinuating that it signifies a girl’s obligation to hide her hair, shoulders, and general determine to be thought-about modest.
This try to impose a slender definition of modesty on numerous cultures and spiritual practices has ignited a blazing inferno of controversy, leaving followers and spectators appalled.
The Moroccan footballer’s historic second as the primary hijabi participant within the prestigious event, being held in Australia and New Zealand ought to have been a celebration of range and inclusion.
However, CNews’ distressing feedback have overshadowed this momentous event and solid a shadow on the spirit of world unity that the World Cup embodies.
As news of Guilbert’s assertion unfold like wildfire, a torrent of shock engulfed social media, with numerous people denouncing the French channel’s audacious try to venture France’s controversial spiritual image ban onto an athlete from one other nation and a event hosted exterior the borders of France.
One Twitter consumer succinctly expressed the frustration felt by many, saying, “She is Moroccan, plays in Morocco, and participates in the World Cup in Australia very far from your racist country. What is your problem?”
Others passionately argued that such remarks perpetuate dangerous stereotypes and contribute to the perpetuation of Islamophobic attitudes towards girls who select to put on the hijab.
Moreover, they fervently emphasised the necessity to respect numerous cultures and spiritual practices with out judgment or imposition of 1’s personal beliefs.
“It’s extraordinary. Men puffed up with certainty to explain to her what her clothes mean to her. Fortunately, her playmates obviously don’t see it the same way,” a Twitter consumer rightly identified, highlighting the absurdity of males presuming to dictate a girl’s selection of clothes.
This unsettling incident has revealed a disheartening discrepancy between French media and different Western media retailers.
While many worldwide platforms have celebrated Nouhaila’s historic second as a optimistic step in the direction of inclusivity and variety in girls’s soccer, French media, epitomized by CNews and Guibert’s feedback, have taken a regressive strategy.
CNews shouldn’t be alone in projecting the nation’s nationwide agenda and home debates over spiritual symbols onto worldwide athletes from completely different cultural backgrounds.
L’Equipe, a outstanding French sports-focused newspaper, added gasoline to the hearth by labeling Benzina’s hijab as “highly controversial.”
Source: www.dailysabah.com
