On Tuesday, the Council of Europe withdrew a campaign saying that wearing the hijab should be “celebrated and respected”. The campaign sparked a lot of protests, including in France. For example, several politicians have said that the slogan promotes the wearing of the hijab.
Slogans appeared in the campaign on social media such as “Diversity is beauty and the veil symbolizes freedom,” “Celebrate diversity and respect the veil,” and “How boring would the world look if everyone seemed the same?” French politicians from various political parties reacted indignantly because they believed the veil was a symbol of oppression against women.
So the French government decided to ban the video. “We strongly reject this campaign,” Foreign Minister Sarah Al-Hairi wrote on Twitter. “I was shocked by the video. It goes against our values. You shouldn’t praise the hijab.
Asita Kanko (N-VA) at the European Parliament in Brussels reacted sharply: “As a woman, I am deeply shocked. I will always oppose those who abuse liberty to force women into submission.
“The photos do not represent the Council’s position,” a spokeswoman for the Council of Europe said. It would be a working group project, and it did not have the support of the entire board.
With 47 member states, the Council of Europe is an organization separate from the European Union and focused on human rights. The most important treaty that came within the framework of the organization is the European Convention on Human Rights.
