The abaya covers the entire body except the face, hands, and feet. “When entering a classroom, one should not be able to identify the students’ religion by looking at them,” said the government.
The French government will prohibit female students in primary and secondary schools from wearing abayas, tunics commonly worn in Maghreb and Arab countries, announced the government on Sunday (August 27, 2023).
The abaya covers the entire body except the face, hands, and feet. The use of this garment by teenagers had sparked controversy in France, particularly due to criticism from the right and far-right.
“It will no longer be possible to wear the abaya in school,” said French Minister of Education Gabriel Attal in an interview with the TF1 television channel, where he also stated that this attire violates the strict secularism rules in French education.
“When entering a classroom, one should not be able to identify the students’ religion by looking at them,” he asserted.
Although the French Council of the Muslim Faith (CFCM) considers it not to be an Islamic symbol, the Ministry of Education had already issued a circular last year authorizing schools to prohibit this garment, as well as headbands and very long skirts.
France already banned in 2004 wearing any conspicuous religious symbols, such as the Islamic veil and kippahs, in schools and institutes.
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