The Council of Europe withdrew the "hijab campaign" after the scandal broke out in France.
Last week, the Council of Europe published its campaign against anti-Muslim discrimination, one of whose slogans was: "Beauty is in diversity, as freedom is in the hijab."
Several prominent French politicians condemned the message, arguing that the hijab does not represent freedom.
But some Muslim women who wear headscarves believe the reactions showed a "lack of respect for diversity" and took away the right of an individual to choose what to wear in France.
Sarah El Haïry, France's youth minister, said she was "shocked by the poster showing the divided image of a woman wearing and not wearing a hijab". In an interview with French TV, the minister believed that the poster encourages women to wear headscarves. As he put it, "this message violates France's secular values."
On Wednesday, the Council of Europe told the BBC that tweets related to the campaign had been deleted "until a better representation of the project can be found".
Source Council of Europe Twitter
The campaign was the result of two online workshops held in September, organized in collaboration with Femyso, the European Forum of Muslim Youth Organizations. According to a Council of Europe spokesperson, the campaign "reflected the personal statements of participants in one of the project's workshops".
According to the spokesperson, this message does not reflect the personal position of either the Council of Europe or its Secretary General, Marija Pejcinovic Buric.
The president of Femyso, Hande Taner, defended the campaign in an interview with the BBC.
"The campaign itself is still ongoing. As for why the tweet was deleted, I cannot provide an answer on behalf of the Council of Europe," said the head of the Muslim youth organization.
According to Hande Taner, "it is very sad that the efforts of minority youth are attacked and undermined by politicians."
"This reaction is yet another example of the non-existence of Muslim women's rights for those who incidentally claim to represent or defend ideals such as liberty, equality and brotherhood," she said.
The integration of Muslims into French society has become an increasingly prominent political issue in France in recent years, as the country is home to the largest Muslim community in Europe, estimated at five million people.
In 2011, France became the first European country to ban the full-face Islamic veil (burqa) in public places.
The posters of the Council of Europe attracted the attention of French politicians on Monday
In one of his tweets, political commentator Eric Zemmour, who is high on the list of candidates even though he has not yet announced his candidacy, accused the campaign of "advocating the veiling of Europeans".
National Compact candidate Marine Le Pen tweeted: "When women take off their veils, they become free, not the other way around."
Hande Taner answered these by saying that "if there is a demand for freedom, this freedom must be universal. This includes choosing the form of freedom as well as what to wear. They can't even deny my freedom to choose what not to wear."
According to the head of the Muslim organization, "in France, where freedom is so valued, there is a double standard and freedom does not enjoy the same level of protection for certain groups, such as Muslim women."
Source: mandiner.hu
Featured image: Council of Europe Twitter
