Muslim headscarves have been banned in French schools since 2004.
French authorities ban the use of abayas worn by Muslim women in schools, the country’s education minister said Gabriel Attal said on Sunday. According to him, the garment violates French education laws.
– The use of abaya at school is no longer possible, Attal said in an interview with the French TV channel TF1. He also said he would give “clear national-level instructions” to school principals before France returns to classrooms from vacation on September 4.
In France, the use of full-body abayas in schools has been debated for months. Muslim women have been banned from wearing headscarves in schools for a long time. The ban on wearing the abaya has been pushed especially by the French right and the extreme right. However, according to the left, the ban would violate civil liberties.
The use of the abaya has reportedly increased in French schools and has reportedly increased tensions between teachers and parents. In France, school education is strictly separated from religion by law.
– Secularism means the freedom to liberate oneself through school, Attal said and described the abaya outfit as “a religious gesture that tests the level of resistance to the secular refuge that the school should provide”.
– When you enter a classroom, you should not be able to tell the students’ religious beliefs by looking at them, he said.
In March 2004, a law came into force in France that prohibited the use of religious symbols or clothing in schools. The ban includes, among other things, large crosses, Jewish kippah headgear and Islamic scarves.
Unlike headscarves, abayas that cover the entire body and leave only the face, palms and soles visible have been a gray area until now and have not been outright banned. According to Islam, the outfit represents modest dressing.
According to the CFCM, the national elected body of French Muslims, clothing alone is not a “religious symbol”.
The abaya ban was 34-year-old Minister Attali’s first big move since he was appointed in the summer to handle the highly controversial portfolio of Minister of Youth, Education and Research.
Source: AFP