User:Maxwinteremory/sandbox

In February of 2019, Decathlon, Europe’s largest sports retailer, announced plans to begin selling a sports hijab in their stores in France. Decathlon had begun selling the product in Morocco the previous week but was met with lots of criticism in regards to the plan. The move was quickly criticized all over social media, with several politicians expressing discomfort with the product being sold. Decathlon originally stood firm, arguing it was focused on “democratizing” sports. The company released a statement saying their goal was to “offer them a suitable sports product, without judging.” While Nike had already sold hijabs in France, Decathlon was met with much more scrutiny. Multiple salespeople were threatened physically in stores. The company also received hundreds of calls and emails in regards to the product. Decathlon was forced to backtrack and has since halted their plans to sell the sports hijab. Many throughout France were left disappointed with one Muslim entrepreneur stating, “it’s a shame that Decathlon didn’t stand firm.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/28/world/europe/france-sports-hijab-decathlon.html