"Don't Wear Islamic Clothing in Class" France's Choice... Aftermath Expected

Controversy Over Wearing Islamic Traditional Garment 'Abaya' in Classrooms
French Education Minister: "Wearing Restrictions from Next Month"
"Guarantee Religious Freedom, Exclude in Public" Principle

From now on, wearing the Islamic traditional garment 'Abaya' will be prohibited in French classrooms. This comes as the French government emphasizes the principle of 'la?cit?,' the separation of education and religion.

On the 27th (local time), Gabriel Attal, France's Minister of Education, stated in an interview with TF1, "In classrooms, students should not be identifiable by their religion," announcing this policy. The education authorities plan to present school principals with a "clear national rule" regarding the restriction on wearing Abayas in schools before the new semester begins on the 4th of next month.

Women wearing abayas. [Image source=AFP archive photo]

The Abaya is a black cloak covering from the neck to the feet, a traditional Islamic ethnic garment. It protects the skin from the desert's direct sunlight and, for women, conceals the body shape as much as possible. It is mainly worn by women in Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and other countries.

Recently, as the wearing of Abayas in French schools has increased, a debate has arisen over whether to ban them. The left-wing camp opposed the 'ban on wearing Abayas,' arguing it could restrict citizens' freedoms, while the right-wing emphasized the principle of la?cit? and insisted on the ban.

France had already banned the wearing of clothing or symbols that overtly display religious affiliation in schools in 2004. This included large crosses symbolizing Christianity, Jewish kippahs (caps), and Islamic headscarves. However, there were no clear rules regarding the Abaya.

Regarding this decision, the French government emphasized the constitutional principle of la?cit?. La?cit? guarantees freedom of religion in private spheres but strictly excludes religion from public areas such as politics. It is considered one of the four core values of France, alongside liberty, equality, and fraternity.

Minister Attal explained, "La?cit? means the freedom to liberate oneself through school," adding, "The Abaya is a 'religious gesture' that puts this la?cit? to the test."

Bruno Bobkiewicz, Secretary-General of the National School Principals Association (SNPDEN) under the French Autonomous Union Federation (UNSA), said, "The guidelines were unclear, but now that they are clear, we welcome this." Eric Ciotti, leader of the right-wing Republican Party (LR), also welcomed the decision, stating, "I have repeatedly called for a ban on wearing Abayas."

However, Cl?mentine Autain, a left-wing member of the National Assembly from La France Insoumise (LFI), called it an "obsessive rejection of Muslims" and claimed, "This decision is unconstitutional." The French Council of the Muslim Faith (CFCM) pointed out, "The Abaya is not a religious symbol by clothing alone."

Amid the fierce political debate, concerns have been raised that this could lead to social conflict. Previously, in 2010, France banned the wearing of face-covering garments such as the burqa and niqab in public places, which caused significant anger among the approximately 5 million Muslims in France, who viewed it as "prejudice and discrimination against Islam."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.