France Restricts Muslim Students To Wear Abaya In State Schools

New Delhi: Female students in state-run schools of France will not be able to wear abaya, which is a long, loose skirt worn by some Muslim women. The French Education Minister made the announcement saying all the necessary details will be intimidate before the next term starts in schools. 

Gabriel Attal told France’s TF1 TV said the abaya could not be allowed in classes anymore as one should not identify the pupils’ religion just by looking at them.

The decision was taken after going through months of debates where the right-wing advocated that the religious garment should be done away with, while the left-wing suggested that the move would violate civil liberties.

The French Council of Islamic Worship (CFCM), a national body that brings together many Muslim associations, has stated that clothing alone does not constitute a “religious sign”.

France Imposed Similar Ban In 2004, 2010

Over a decade ago, the French government had banned wearing veil in public in 2010, while the country had restricted girls to wear hijab in schools. This has led to a strong dissent among the community that had 5 million Muslims.

To Avoid Catholic Influence

France, which has imposed a strict ban on religious symbols in public schools since 19th-century legislation eliminated any traditional Catholic influence in public education, has struggled to update its guideline to deal with the growing Muslim minority.

Public schools in France do not allow wearing large crosses, Jewish kippa or Muslim headscarves.

The debate over Islamic symbols has been intense since a Chechen refugee teacher beheaded Samuel Paty, who showed his students caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad, near the school in the suburbs of Paris in 2020.

The announcement is the first major political decision by Mr Attal, who was appointed Education Minister by President Emmanuel Macron this summer at the age of 34.

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