Council of Europe ‘Freedom Is in Hijab’ Campaign Dropped after Massive Backlash
The Council of Europe’s campaign endorsed women wearing the hijab,
© press
The Council of Europe has dropped its pro-hijab Twitter campaign following a massive backlash in France, according to reports.
Some French politicians argued the campaign clashed with the country’s secular values and promoted Islamism and the enslavement of women.
The Council of Europe’s campaign endorsed women wearing the hijab, a head garment used to cover Mulsim women's faces.
The campaign included posters of a woman whose one half was bare-headed and the other covered in an Islamic headscarf.
The headline read:
“Beauty is in diversity as freedom is in hijab."
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“How boring would the world be if everyone would look the same? Celebrate diversity and respect hijab,” it commanded, according to the BBC.
Another poster shared on Twitter showed a woman in a full headscarf and the headline: “My headscarf, my choice.”
“Bring joy and accept hijabs,” another demanded.
"Freedom is in hijab"
— Andy Ngô 🏳️🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) November 3, 2021
A Council of Europe (@coe) campaign funded by the EU (@EU_Commission) to promote Islamic religious dress for women has been pulled after outcry in France, a secular country. pic.twitter.com/brsvtc8NwZ
The European Union co-financed the campaign, according to The Times.
But French people expressed outrage following the campaign, which eventually forced the Council of Europe to delete the tweets.
French politicians said the message conflicted with the French Republic’s fiercely defended secular principles, such as laïcité.
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She added the French government “conveyed its extremely strong disapproval,” which she said brought about “the withdrawal of this campaign.”
Former Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier said of the campaign:
“I would have wanted the people who had the bad idea of this campaign to have asked the women of (Taliban-ruled) Kabul who are fighting precisely not to have this veil.”
Presidential candidate Marine Le Pen said:
“This European communication in favor of the Islamist veil is scandalous and indecent as millions of women courageously fight against this enslavement, including in France."
“It is when women remove the veil that they become free, not the other way around!”
Hijab campaign tweets pulled by Council of Europe after French backlash https://t.co/rt6oOfBbZY
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) November 3, 2021
Fellow right-wing presidential candidate Eric Zemmour said:
“This campaign is the enemy of truth. It promotes the veiling of Europeans.
"It is publicity jihad financed by your taxes.”
“A reminder that women are free to wear the hijab is one thing. Saying that freedom is in the hijab is another,” said Socialist Senator Laurence Rossignol.
