The federal government is launching an inquiry into chlorine allergy certificates, suggesting households have ‘conveniently’ used them to stop women from swimming.
Paris, France – Rights teams have criticised France’s determination to crack down on allergy certificates used to exempt college students from swimming pool classes, saying the transfer was an “Islamophobic” gesture.
France’s training and inside ministries on Thursday introduced they might launch an inquiry into “chlorine allergy” certificates to collect data on the apply, after officers recommended that the paperwork had been ostensibly pretend and being utilized by “non secular” mother and father to cease their daughters from swimming.
Whereas authorities statements concerning the investigation haven’t explicitly referenced the phrases “Muslim” or “Islam”, critics say that the measures are squarely aimed toward France’s 5.7 million-strong Muslim neighborhood.
Saying the inquiry, the Ministry of the Inside mentioned in a press release on Thursday that it was “decided” to strengthen the “values of the Republic”, particularly as a brand new invoice towards what French President Emmanuel Macron has termed “Islamist separatism” was being debated.
“College shouldn’t be a breeding floor for ‘non secular separatism’ when an act or an indication ends in a refusal of exercise, a selected demand, a problem to instructing within the title of non secular convictions,” the assertion mentioned.
“Lately, there was a rise within the issuance of certificates by well being professionals prescribing a contraindication to swimming classes for younger women. These so-called ‘chlorine allergy’ certificates of comfort can’t be tolerated in faculties within the Republic so long as they aren’t based mostly on medical causes.”
Marlene Schiappa, citizenship minister, and Jean-Michel Blanquer, training minister, are main the inquiry, the outcomes of which will likely be made public.
Schiappa tweeted on Thursday: “[Schools] should combat towards separatist ideologies which primarily goal little women.”
On the time of publishing, the Ministry of the Inside had not responded to Al Jazeera’s request for remark.
“France has 99 issues,” tweeted Rim-Sarah Alouane, a French non secular freedom, civil liberties and human rights researcher. “However the precedence of the French authorities is to go after Muslim feminine college students allegedly making an attempt to skip swimming lessons.”
Sefen Guez Guez, a lawyer for the Collective In opposition to Islamophobia in France (CCIF) civil rights group, instructed Al Jazeera: “We aren’t naive; it’s clearly focusing on Muslims.
“It’s an agenda. They’re making an attempt to resolve how Muslims should reside their faith – this isn’t respecting laicite [France’s form of secularism].”
Guez Guez expressed disbelief that the efforts are being made in the course of the coronavirus pandemic, when swimming swimming pools throughout France are closed.
“I feel it’s unimaginable,” he mentioned. “How is that this a precedence? And are they going to begin policing allergy certificates?
“It’s a part of a wider effort to stigmatise Muslims. It’s not a significant issue. However the authorities desires to fill the information and media with a brand new downside each week.”
Heated debate
The subject of ladies avoiding swimming pool classes in school or highschool has been raised repeatedly throughout debates over France’s controversial “separatism” legislation, which is at present being mentioned by politicians within the Nationwide Meeting.
The federal government says the draft invoice is designed to strengthen French secularism, however rights teams have condemned the proposed legislation whereas specialists have mentioned secularism is already protected by the nation’s authorized framework.
The invoice consists of tighter controls on homeschooling, limits on donations to spiritual teams from overseas, and a requirement for all associations in France receiving public funding to signal a contract pledging to respect Republican values.
Schiappa raised the topic of swimming throughout a listening to on January 11, saying an “exponential fee of schoolchildren allergic to chlorine” was right down to “certificates of comfort to flee swimming pool classes”, as she blamed households for appearing on “non secular concerns”.