religion
France State Council approves ban on abayas in schools
Traditional costumes from Arab countries have long been banned in French schools. photo
© Loic Venance/AFP/dpa
For months there has been an increasing debate in France about wearing abayas in schools. Now the State Council approves the ban imposed. The administrative court rejects an urgent application.
At the start of the school year, the Minister of Education banned the wearing of the corresponding cover for men, the Qamis, in addition to abayas. He bases this on the long-standing ban on visible religious symbols in schools in France, which is committed to secularism, i.e. the strict separation of state and religion.
This has been a topic of debate for a long time
As the Conseil d’État stated, the ban does not constitute an unlawful interference with the right to respect for private life, freedom of religion, the right to education and respect for the best interests of the child or the principle of non-discrimination.
The court was convinced that the increased wearing of abayas and qamis in schools had a religious background. This is also evident from statements made by the affected students. However, the law prohibits students in public schools from wearing signs or clothing that reveal religious affiliation, either by themselves or through the student’s behavior.
For months there had been an increasing debate in France about wearing abayas in schools. In recent months, violations of secularism in schools have increased sharply, particularly involving abayas, Education Minister Gabriel Attal said. A decisive response was necessary; religious symbols should have no place in schools, he justified the ban.