French Authorities to Enforce Ban on Abayas in Schools, Says President Macron
French President Emmanuel Macron has declared that French authorities will be “uncompromising” in enforcing the new ban on abayas in schools. The announcement came after the French education minister revealed the decision to prohibit the robe-like garment in the upcoming academic year. However, this ban has received criticism from opposition lawmakers, who argue that it is part of a “new Islamophobic campaign.”
President Macron reiterated the decision during a visit to a vocational school in the Vaucluse region of southern France. He emphasized that French schools, operating under the principle of “laïcité” or “secularism,” should not allow any religious symbols. Macron stated, “Religious symbols of any kind have no place in them. And we will vigorously defend this secularism.”
To ensure the ban’s implementation, Macron assured French school teachers and principals that they will not be alone in enforcing it. Additional personnel will be deployed to secondary schools and other sensitive areas to support them in engaging with families and students. Macron emphasized the government’s commitment by saying, “We will not let anything go.”
This ban is part of a series of controversial restrictions on Islamic clothing that France has implemented in recent years. Last year, lawmakers passed a ban on wearing the hijab and other “ostentatious religious symbols” in sports competitions, arguing that it could potentially jeopardize the safety of athletes. In 2018, the United Nations Human Rights Committee criticized France’s previous ban on the niqab, stating that it violated the human rights of those who wore it.
The enforcement of this new ban on abayas is expected to further exacerbate tensions between France and Muslim countries, as well as draw international attention to the issue of religious freedom and cultural diversity.