In a move that has sparked intense debate, France’s Education Minister, Gabriel Attal, announced today that the wearing of abaya dresses, a loose-fitting, full-length robe worn by some Muslim women, will be banned in state-run schools.
French public schools do not permit the wearing of large crosses, Jewish kippas, or Islamic headscarves. The ban on headscarves in schools was enacted in 2004, and in 2010, France passed a ban on full-face veils in public spaces, both of which drew criticism from the country’s five million-strong Muslim community.
Education Minister Gabriel Attal explained the reasoning behind the new ban, stating in an interview with TV channel TF1, “I have decided that the abaya could no longer be worn in schools. When you walk into a classroom, you shouldn’t be able to identify the pupils’ religion just by looking at them.”
The debate over the wearing of abayas in French schools has been ongoing for months, with women having long been banned from wearing the hijab in these institutions. The decision to ban abayas is a divisive one, with proponents arguing that it upholds the principles of secularism, while opponents claim it encroaches on civil liberties.
Unlike headscarves, abayas had previously occupied a grey area in French policy and had faced no outright ban until now. The French Council of Muslim Faith (CFCM), a national body encompassing many Muslim associations, has stated that items of clothing alone should not be considered a “religious sign.”
