France Plans to Ban Muslim Clothing in Schools

The French authorities are set to ban the wearing of abayas in schools—traditional Muslim women's garments that completely cover the body and are worn over regular clothing. This announcement was made by the new Minister of National Education and Youth, Gabriel Attal, as reported by TASS.

"In the Republic, the school is built on strong principles, such as secularism. Secularism is the freedom to liberate oneself through education. When you enter a classroom, you shouldn't be able to determine a student's faith just by looking at them," he said during an interview on the TF1 television channel.

The minister promised that next week he would discuss how to implement this ban with school heads. Media reports also note that since March 15, 2004, it has been prohibited by law to wear religious symbols or clothing that signifies religious beliefs in French educational institutions.