France To Ban Wearing Abayas in State-Run Schools
- Publish date: Monday، 28 August 2023
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France plans to ban students from wearing the abaya, which refers to the loose and full-length robes worn by certain Muslim women, within state-operated schools. This announcement was made by Education Minister Gabriel Attal prior to the reopening of schools.
The move comes after months of discussions and debates over abayas in schools, where women and girls are already banned from wearing Islamic headscarves, large Christian crosses and Jewish yarmulkes.
“I have decided that the abaya could no longer be worn in schools,” Mr Attal told TV channel TF1.
“When you walk into a classroom, you shouldn't be able to identify the pupils' religion just by looking at them.”
The ban has been advocated for by right-wing and far-left factions, while the left-leaning groups have expressed concerns that it could infringe upon civil liberties.
“Secularism means the freedom to emancipate oneself through school,” Mr Attal said.
He described the abaya as “a religious gesture” which aims at testing France’s secularist ideals.
Mr. Attal stated his intention to provide “clear rules at the national level” to school administrators before the return to classes on September 4th.