France has announced a ban on the abaya, a long loose-fitting dress worn by some Muslim women, in state schools. This move is in line with the country’s strict rules on religious symbols in educational institutions, and it follows the ban on headscarves that was implemented in 2004.
The French education minister, Gabriel Attal, stated that the aim of the ban is to prevent religious identification based on students’ appearance within the classroom. He noted, “When you walk into a classroom, you shouldn’t be able to identify the pupils’ religion just by looking at them.”
The abaya, often described as a robe-like dress, is worn by women in various regions, including parts of the Arabian Peninsula, the Middle East, and North Africa. The question of whether the abaya is a religious symbol has been a subject of debate, with opinions varying within different contexts.
France’s Council of Muslim Worship has indicated that the abaya is not necessarily a Muslim religious sign and that any clothing item should not be considered a religious symbol on its own. The country has historically maintained strict secularism rules, originally aimed at separating traditional Catholic influence from public education. These rules have evolved over time to encompass other religions as well, leading to bans on various religious symbols in state schools.
In 2010, France also implemented a ban on full-face veils in public, sparking debates within its Muslim community and beyond.