France to Prohibit Wearing of Muslim Attire in Schools

In state schools across France, a decision has been made to ban the wearing of abayas — the large, long dresses with sleeves often chosen by Muslim women to accompany their hijabs. This announcement came from the Minister of National Education, Gabriel Attal, as reported by France 24.

According to him, this step is aimed at avoiding debates and controversies surrounding the dress style chosen by certain students.

"We want it to be impossible to determine students' religious affiliation solely by their appearance upon entering the classroom. Therefore, I have decided that abayas will no longer be permitted in schools," stated Education Minister Gabriel Attal on Sunday evening.

In 2004, France enacted a law prohibiting "the wearing of any signs or clothing in schools that could indicate students' religious affiliation." This applied to large crosses, Jewish kippahs, and Islamic headscarves.

Permission to wear abayas existed until November of last year. In 2022, the National Education issued a directive in which abayas were added to the list of clothing items that could be prohibited if worn "with the intent of openly displaying their religious affiliation." Bandanas and long skirts were also mentioned in this directive.

Bruno Bobkiewicz, the leader of the school directors' trade union, welcomed this decision. "Clarity has been enhanced in following the rules, and we welcome that," stated Bobkiewicz.

Meanwhile, Clementine Autain, a member of the left-wing opposition party France Unbowed, condemned this move, considering it as "control over clothing" and asserting that it "violates constitutional principles" and contradicts the fundamental principles of France's secular values. Autain also accused the French government of "imposing rejection" on around 5 million Muslim citizens of the country.

The matter of this traditional attire is delicate, as the French Council of the Muslim Faith (CFCM) maintains that abayas are not a Muslim religious symbol.

The French Ministry of Education had already raised the issue of abayas in November of last year in a circular that discussed this attire alongside bandanas and long skirts as clothing that could be prohibited if worn in a way that appears to display religious affiliation.