France to ban female students from wearing abayas in state schools

Students will be banned from wearing abayas, loose-fitting full-length robes worn by some Muslim women, in France’s state-run schools, the education minister announced. The rule will be effective as soon as the new school year starts on September 4. France has a strict ban on religious signs in state schools and government buildings, citing that they violate secular laws.

Wearing a headscarf has been banned since 2004 in state-run schools. “When you walk into a classroom, you shouldn’t be able to identify the pupils’ religion just by looking at them,” Education Minister Gabriel Attal told France’s TF1 TV, adding: “I have decided that the abaya could no longer be worn in schools.” The move comes after months of debate over the wearing of abayas in French schools. The garment is being increasingly worn in schools, leading to a political divide over them, with right-wing parties pushing for a ban while those on the left have raised concerns for the rights of Muslim women and girls.