Fatayat NU Affirms Not To Invite People To Boycott Products

General Chairperson of the Central Executive (PP) Fatayat Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Margaret Aliyatul Maimunah. (ANTARA/HO-Nahdlatul Ulama)

JAKARTA - The Head of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Fatayat Center emphasized that he had never called for a boycott, including for French products.

This was conveyed by the General Chairperson of Fatayat NU Margaret Aliyatul Maimunah. This issue arose amid the hectic news of the ban on wearing the hijab for athletes from France at the French Olympics.

"As the Head of PP Fatayat NU, I have never made an invitation to the Indonesian people to boycott French products," Aliyatul told reporters, Tuesday, August 6.

Aliyatul said Fatayat NU knew about the ban. However, there has been no further attitude, including the question of boycott.

"I've never made any statement regarding that," he said.

Controversy related to the ban on wearing the hijab for French athletes at the Olympics emerged after French Sports Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera banned the use of the hijab. The move is to prevent proselytism or the act of inviting others to follow certain religious teachings or political attitudes with a daily lifestyle.

"Our delegation representatives from the French team will not wear headscarves," he said.

"There is a prohibition on all forms of 'proselytism', because the neutrality of public services is absolute," continued Amelie.

This attitude was then criticized by Amnesty International. This prohibition is considered to weaken efforts to make sport more inclusive.

"And prove that Muslim athletes wearing hijabs in France will continue to be discriminated against," the organization wrote.

In Amnesty International's report, it is stated that France is the only European country participating in the Olympics to ban the hijab for its 2024 Olympics and 2024 Paralympics. In addition, this country is the only party of 38 countries in Europe to boycott hijab in various sports such as football, basketball, and volleyball.