In an interview with Le Parisien, the Minister of the Interior declared that the fight against Islamism was “one of the major priorities of the coming months”.
“The veil is not just a simple piece of fabric: it is a standard for Islamism, and a marker of the inferiorization of women in relation to men,” said the Minister of interior Bruno Retailleau during an interview given to Parisianthis Monday, January 6. Consequently, he believes that “accompanies do not have to be veiled” during school outings and would like legislative measures to be taken in this direction.
This is not the first time that a political figure has made this proposal. In June 2024, the spokesperson for the RN, Julien Odoul, maintained that his party was in favor of a ban on the veil, in this context, in public space, on RMC. “We must protect all school activities, avoid proselytism and therefore prohibit the Islamist veil on these school outings,” he said.
The wearing of the veil called into question
We forget it a little, but the 2004 law – which prohibits “the wearing of signs or outfits by which students ostensibly demonstrate religious affiliation” in public schools, colleges and high schools – already divided the political body 20 years ago. years. At that time, Nicolas Sarkozy, former Minister of the Interior, even opposed this law aimed at banning the veil at school, as recalled Public Senate.
“A new law is a dangerous position,” he assured the Senate committee. “What is this false debate with on one side the defenders of the republican ideal who want a new law and on the other, the abominables bowing to extremism? is not the truth. I am opposed to any form of religious symbols and at the same time very reserved about a new law on secularism.” Later, when he was president of the UMP, he made an about-face by speaking out in favor of banning the Islamic veil in schools, and even at universities.
An opinion far from displeasing Bruno Retailleau who wants to lead “the battle against Islamic totalitarianism” on all fronts. The Prime Minister particularly targets “political Islam” which “threatens our institutions and national cohesion”. “I hope that one of the main priorities of these coming months will be the fight against the Islamism of the Muslim Brotherhood”, which he accuses of engaging in “entryism”.
Towards an expansion of the 2004 law?
He believes that to fight against this “entryism”, it is necessary “to extend the scope of secularism to other public spaces, for example to sports competitions or school outings”. In his eyes, “the 2004 law on religious symbols must be applied to these activities: school trips are school outside the walls”.
The minister is also in favor of banning the wearing of the veil at university. This would concern more than 3,500 public and private educational establishments. As a reminder, the law on secularism of 1905gives the possibility of wearing any religious sign in public spaces and at the University as users, considering that students are adults, awake and responsible. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a cross, a veil or a yarmulke, “the Republic ensures freedom of conscience.” “Religious freedom presupposes the freedom for everyone to express their religion, to practice it and to abandon it, while respecting public order,” summarizes Public life.
The position of the Minister of the Interior is not unanimous; associations regularly defend the wearing of the veil if it is worn consciously. “The constraint of dress codes, whether by imposing the wearing of clothing or banning it, reflects a desire to exercise control over the bodies of women and girls and to deprive them of their personal autonomy, seeing in their body a symbolic manifestation of the values of the community or the nation”, underlines for example Amnesty International France.