A promotional video by a Dutch modest clothing brand featuring the Eiffel Tower draped in a headscarf has sparked a row, with several French politicians criticising the move.
The animation video, posted by Merrachi on TikTok this week, has now gone viral on social media.
“The French government hates to see Merrachi coming,” the video of the brand, that primarily caters to Muslim consumers, captioned drawing criticism from French leaders.
The caption of the video stated, “Remember when they banned the hijab?” The post by the clothing brand on the TikTok suggested its launch in the country.
🇫🇷The clothing brand @Merrachi announced the launch of sales in France with an animated video showing the Eiffel Tower wearing a hijab.
The Dutch company accompanied the animation with the text: “The French government hates it when Merrachi appears.” The caption references the… pic.twitter.com/qulTyWzpMr
— Teplitsa for business (@Teplitsa_) March 13, 2025
It was also shared on Instagram by Merrachi with the caption, “Spotted: The Eiffel Tower wearing MERRACHI, mashallah! Looks like she just joined the modest fashion community.”
The animated video begins with the Eiffel Tower in the French capital draped in a golden brown coat. The 15-second short video then showed the tower headscarf wrapped around the tower.
The video evoked sharp reaction from several leaders in France who called out Merrachi for the “provocative advertisement” and “terrifying political project.”
Lisette Pollet, a right-wing French MP, called the provocative advertisement ‘unacceptable’.
🇫🇷 INACCEPTABLE !
La Tour Eiffel, symbole de la France, détournée par la marque Merrachi qui la couvre d’un voile islamique dans une publicité provocatrice.
👉 Une instrumentalisation idéologique et commerciale qui heurte nos valeurs républicaines et notre patrimoine. pic.twitter.com/A6GgVkWRPU
— Lisette Pollet 🕊🎗️Ⓜ️ 🇫🇷 (@LisettePollet) March 11, 2025
“The Eiffel Tower, symbol of France, has been hijacked by the Merrachi brand, which has covered it with an Islamic veil in a provocative advertisement. An ideological and commercial instrumentalization which offends our republican values and our heritage,” Pollet said in a post on X.
La marque islamique #Merrachi se paye une publicité qui voile.. la #TourEiffel.
Quel programme !
C’est un projet politique terrifiant, une provocation inadmissible !
Demandez des comptes àdocumentation@toureiffel.paris#TourEiffel #Islamisme pic.twitter.com/SW2KtmUyo1
— Jérôme Buisson (@jerome_buisson) March 11, 2025
Jérôme Buisson, an MP with the far-right National Rally, called it a ‘terrifying political project’ and ‘an unacceptable provocation’.
“The Islamic brand #Merrachi pays for advertising which hides… the #TourEiffel. What a program! This is a terrifying political project, an unacceptable provocation!” he said.
