French Muslim student in limelight over headscarf
May 24: Maryam Pougetoux, a student at one of France's top universities has found herself at the centre of a media storm after she appeared in a documentary wearing a headscarf.
She had appeared in the film to talk about student protests in the country, which have been ongoing since April this year.
The student activist is the president of the student union at Paris-Sorbonne IV University in the French capital.
It was not her thoughts on the protests that drew controversy, instead, it was the headscarf she wore while being filmed.
Since the interview, she has been criticised by French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb, who said the appearance was "shocking" and accused Pougetoux of wanting to proselytise her religion.
French Equality Minister Marlene Schiappa also weighed in, calling Pougetoux's choice of headwear a "manifestation of political Islam".
The student defended her decision to wear the scarf in an interview with Buzzfeed, in which she said her headscarf had "no political function" and that her religion did not affect her ability to perform her duties as the union president.
"When I defend students, I do not ask myself about their skin colour, their sexual orientation, their philosophy of life," she told the news outlet.
The coverage has sparked intense debate in France, which has, in the past decade and a half, witnessed several major controversies over what Muslim women wear.
In 2004, legislators passed a law banning the display of religious symbols in schools, which included the headscarf. University students, however, are still allowed to wear headscarves.
In 2010, the country introduced a ban on the face covering worn by a small minority of Muslim women, known as the niqab.
Later in 2016, an image of French police officers in southern France asking a Muslim woman to remove a burkini swimsuit, which covers much of the body and hair went viral.
The officials were acting to enforce a locally implemented ban on the dress but also ended up targeting women who were deemed to be covering excessively.
France's highest administrative court struck down the bans, declaring them a violation of "fundamental liberties".
Advocates of restrictions on Muslim religious clothing say they are ensuring the separation of religious and public life or protecting the French brand of secularism, which is known as Laicite.
However, Muslim civil liberties activists say the restrictions are influenced by prejudice towards Muslims and other communities.
"Maryam Pougetoux has again showed that France has a deep problem with its own minorities and an even bigger one if they dare to speak in public," said activist Yasser Louati.
"Thanks to this controversy, the whole country forgot why she spoke in the first place and the mobilised the students she represented," he added.
He went on to say the controversy would not be the last to involve the headscarf.
courtesy : www.aljazeera.com
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T20 WC star Samson named ICC Men's Player of the Month for March
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Dubai (PTI): India opener Sanju Samson was on Tuesday named ICC Men's Player of the Month for March, capping a stellar run that saw him play a defining role in the team's triumphant T20 World Cup campaign.
Samson did not get to play in the early part of the tournament but was the standout performer in the big games towards the end and helped India retain the title.
His latest honour also extends a unique streak, with players from different countries winning the award over the past five months including South Africa's Simon Harmer, Australia's Mitchell Starc, New Zealand's Daryl Mitchell and Pakistan's Sahibzada Farhan.
"Winning the ICC Player of the Month award is an incredible feeling, especially as it comes during what has been the most unforgettable phase of my cricketing journey. Playing a part in India's triumph at the Men's T20 World Cup was truly a dream realised, and it took some time for the magnitude of that moment to fully sink in," Samson said.
"This is an exciting era for Indian cricket, with immense talent across the board. I feel grateful for the opportunities I've received, and for the trust and support from my team-mates and coaching staff that have allowed me to perform at my best."
Not a regular part of the playing XI in the initial stages of the tournament, Samson was eventually called up for India's must-win Super 8 fixtures. After starting off with 24 against Zimbabwe, he picked form and didn't look back.
The opener missed out on a century against the West Indies by just three runs, but his attacking 97 not out set up India's spot in the semifinal.
A blistering 89 against England at the Wankhede helped India to 253 for 7, and the target proved elusive for the English who missed out by seven runs on March 5.
An equally amazing 89 was churned out during India's successful title defence in Ahmedabad, securing a 96-run win.
In the three crucial T20Is he was a part of in March, Samson notched up 275 runs at an astonishing average of 137.50 and a stunning strike rate of 199.27.
This is the first time that Samson has secured an ICC Men's Player of the Month honour.
New Zealand captain Melie Kerr won the women's honour for the third time, after an outstanding series against Zimbabwe and South Africa.
Taking over the white-ball teams from Sophie Devine, Kerr's captaincy seemed to have brought out the best in her with both the ball and the bat. In the Zimbabwe ODI series, she managed to snap 16 wickets in just three matches, including her career-best figures of 7/34.
Additionally, she also contributed with the bat, being the third highest run-scorer in the ODIs, scoring 140 runs across three games with an average of 46.67 in the counting month.
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