- Hundreds of Students Defy Abaya Ban
- Majority Agree to Change Attire
- Legal Challenge to Abaya Ban Looms
According to the French minister of education, nearly 300 students arrived at school on Monday donning the abaya, a long Muslim garment that was banned in schools last week.
The majority of the girls consented to change their attire.
According to official statistics, 298 females, mostly aged 15 or older, attended school wearing the prohibited garment.
By the ministry’s directives, each case was followed by a dialogue with school personnel.
The majority of girls then consented to dress differently, allowing them to begin classes.
Nonetheless, 67 females refused and were sent home.
The conversation with their families will now continue. In the event of failure, they will be excluded.
In comparison to the 12 million boys and girls who returned to school on Monday, the government believes that its ban has been broadly accepted.
Later on today, however, a legal challenge by a group representing some Muslims will be heard by the courts.
At the end of August, the education minister announced that beginning September 4, pupils in state-run schools in France would be prohibited from donning the loose-fitting, full-length robes worn by some Muslim women.
France has a strict ban on religious signs in state institutions and government buildings, arguing that they violate secular laws.
Since 2004, wearing a headscarf has been prohibited in state-run institutions.
The decision follows months of discussion regarding the wearing of abayas in French institutions.
Right-wing parties have advocated for a moratorium, while those on the left have expressed concern for the rights of Muslim women and girls as the garment is increasingly worn in schools.
In 2010, France prohibited the public donning of full-face veils, angering France’s five million-strong Muslim population.
Since the 19th century, France has enforced a strict prohibition on religious signs in schools, including Christian symbols like large crosses, to limit the Catholic influence on public education.
The Muslim headscarf and Jewish kippa are now restricted, while abayas were not until recently.
