French Senate passes a law in favour of the hijab ban

French Senate faces condemnation after a law was passed that bans girls under 18 from wearing the hijab in public. The hashtag #HandsOffMyHijab started to receive more and more attention on social media. The hijab is a headscarf worn by many Muslim women, and it represents a topic debated in France for decades. This decision is part of Paris’ wish to introduce a bill called the “anti-separatism” bill, aiming to strengthen the state’s secular system. Critics have condemned it, arguing that it neglects the Muslim minority within the French population. The backlash on social media was a fast reaction to the Senate’s decision, being perceived as a “law against Islam”. High-profile figures have expressed their opinion online: founder of Muslim Women’s Day and the website Muslim Girl, Amani al-Khatahtbeh, wrote in a tweet that “No government should regulate how a woman can dress, whether to keep it or take it off”.