In a significant policy development, the French authorities have announced a ban on the wearing of abaya dresses by Muslim women in schools. Education Minister Gabriel Attal made the announcement on TF1 television, stating that the abaya garment violated France’s strict secular laws in education.
Attal stated that he would provide “clear rules at the national level” to school heads in preparation for the upcoming return to classes nationwide on September 4. The move follows months of debate over the wearing of abayas in French schools, where the wearing of Islamic headscarves has been banned for women.
The decision was driven by the right and far-right factions, who argued for the ban, while the left voiced concerns about potential encroachments on civil liberties. The issue had caused tensions within schools between teachers and parents.
Education Minister Attal emphasized the importance of secularism in education, stating, “Secularism means the freedom to emancipate oneself through school.” He described the abaya as a “religious gesture” that tested the boundaries of the secular sanctuary that schools represent. Attal stressed that classrooms should not display religious affiliations of students.
A law implemented in March 2004 already banned the wearing of religious signs or outfits that demonstrate religious affiliations in schools. This encompassed symbols like large crosses, Jewish kippas, and Islamic headscarves. Unlike headscarves, abayas – long, loose garments worn for modesty – had not faced an outright ban until now.
The decision has garnered mixed reactions. Head teachers’ unions and opposition right-wing Republicans party welcomed the move, seeing it as providing clarity on the issue. However, left-wing opposition party France Unbowed criticized the decision as a “policing of clothing” that undermines secular values and targets Muslims.
The debate around religious clothing in schools had intensified following the 2020 beheading of teacher Samuel Paty by a radicalized Chechen refugee. The Council of French Muslim Faith (CFCM) emphasized that clothing alone does not constitute a religious sign.
Education Minister Gabriel Attal, 34, who recently took over the education portfolio, made this announcement as his first major policy decision. Alongside Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, 40, Attal is considered a rising political figure who could potentially play a significant role in the post-Macron era.
(With inputs from AFP)
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