France To Ban Students From Wearing Abayas In State Schools
Female students, in France, will no longer be allowed to wear abayas at school, according to the Education Minister Gabriel Attal.
“When you walk into a classroom, you shouldn’t be able to identify the pupils’ religion just by looking at them, I have decided that the abaya could no longer be worn in schools,” Attal said.
This decision came after months of debate – right-wing parties advocated for the ban, whereas individuals on the left expressed reservations regarding the rights of Muslim women and girls.
Girls who showed up in the garment on the first day of school were either sent back home or forced to change into other clothes.
According to official figures, 298 girls showed up in abayas and 67 refused to change.
The full face veil was outlawed in France in 2010, which infuriated the country’s five million-strong Muslim population.
Ever since the 19th century, France has enforced strict bans on all religious signs and symbols, including Christian ones – the aim is to curb any religious influence on the students’ education.
The law has been revised over time to include the Muslim headscarf and Jewish kippa; abayas had never been banned, until now.
What do you make of this?
READ NEXT: Italian Teen Who Returned Lost Wallet With €5,000 Offered Free Trip And Course By English School In Malta
