Muslim Girls Wearing Abayas Are Barred From French Schools

On Monday, French public schools sent dozens of Muslim girls home for refusing to remove their abayas, which are long, loose-fitting robes worn by Muslim women.

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Education Minister Gabriel Attal confirmed that this new measure is part of the strict ban on the use of any religious symbol in French schools.

On Tuesday, the State Council, the highest administrative judicial instance in France, will examine a petition made by the Action for the Rights of Muslims (ADM), an association that requests the suspension of a law that prohibits wearing abayas in public schools.

The ADM considers that this norm, which was approved by the administration of President Emmanuel Macron on Aug. 27, stigmatizes people of the Muslim faith and represents a threat to their fundamental rights.

The Council of State will examine the request as a matter of urgency from 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday. According to current norms, however, this institution could rule on this regulation within a maximum period of one month.

Besides defending the abaya ban, Macron considers those who challenge secularism in France to be a "minority". On Monday, he also opened the door to the wearing of uniforms in public schools.

This is not the first law that aims to restrict clothing with religious connotations. In 2004, the French authorities issued a rule outlawing signs that express religious affiliation in public schools. The aim of this law was to ban the Islamic headscarf.