Dozens of girls in French public schools were sent home for refusing to remove their abayas, long and loose-fitting robes worn by some Muslim women and girls, on the first day of the school year, as confirmed by Education Minister Gabriel Attal.
Defying a recently enacted ban on the abaya, seen as a religious symbol, nearly 300 girls arrived at school on Monday morning wearing these garments, according to Attal’s statements to BFM broadcaster on Tuesday.
While the majority eventually agreed to change out of the robes, 67 students steadfastly refused and were consequently sent home.
The French government had announced the ban on abayas in schools last month, asserting that such attire violated the principles of secularism in education.
Previously, headscarves had been banned on similar grounds, as they were perceived as representing religious affiliation.
This move garnered support from the political right while sparking criticism from the hard left, which argued that it infringed upon civil liberties.
Ahead of the ban’s implementation, Attal had classified the abaya as a religious symbol that contravenes French secularism.
“Since 2004, in France, religious signs and symbols have been banned in schools, including headscarves, kippas, and crosses,” he noted. “Gabriel Attal, the education minister, says that no one should walk into a classroom wearing something which could suggest what their religion is.”
On Tuesday, Attal revealed that the girls who had been denied entry on Monday were provided with a letter addressed to their families, emphasizing that “secularism is not a constraint, it is a liberty.”
He indicated that if these students were to return to school wearing the abaya again, a “new dialogue” would be initiated.
Also Read: France Implements Ban On Abaya In State Schools, Citing Secular Laws
President Emmanuel Macron also defended this controversial measure on Monday evening, underlining the importance of upholding secularism. He referred to a “minority” in France that misappropriates religion, posing challenges to the republic and secularism.
Macron pointed to the tragic consequences of this, including the murder of teacher Samuel Paty three years ago for showing caricatures of Prophet Muhammad during a civics education class. He emphasized that such incidents could not be overlooked.
An organization representing Muslims, the Action for the Rights of Muslims (ADM), has filed a motion with the State Council, France’s highest court for complaints against state authorities, seeking an injunction against the ban on the abaya and its male equivalent, the qamis. This motion is scheduled to be examined later on Tuesday.
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