Abaya robes are banned in French schools, drawing both praise and condemnation.
France’s Decision to Prohibit Abaya Robes in Schools Sparks Debate
The French government’s recent move to forbid children from wearing abaya robes, the loose-fitting and full-length garments often worn by some Muslim women, within state-run schools has ignited both praise and criticism. This development falls under France’s established policy of prohibiting religious symbols in schools since 2004, aimed at upholding its distinct version of secularism known as “laicite.” However, this decision has reignited a sensitive topic that frequently stirs political tensions in the country.
Education Minister Gabriel Attal clarified the Sunday ban in a news conference, pointing out that recent months had witnessed an increasing number of breaches to laicite, particularly involving students donning religious attire like abayas and kameez. This prompted the decision to enforce the ban, a decision that has garnered mixed reactions from various quarters.
Eric Ciotti, head of the conservative Les Republicains party, hailed the move as long overdue, echoing sentiments from others on the right who applauded the decision. The SNPDEN-UNSA union of school principals also expressed support for the clarity provided by the government, as Didier Georges, the union’s national secretary, confirmed.
However, the decision has not been without its critics, particularly from the left-leaning side of the political spectrum. Clementine Autain, a representative of the hard-left France Insoumise, denounced what she labeled the “clothes police” and characterized the decision as reflective of an obsessive rejection of Muslims. Some academics also raised concerns about the potential counterproductive nature of the ban, particularly regarding clothing that they argued was more about fashion or identity than religious expression.
Sociologist Agnes De Feo, who has spent a decade studying French women who wear niqabs, emphasized that this decision might inadvertently stigmatize Muslims and expressed disappointment that people might judge young girls for donning the abaya, which she views as a form of teenage expression rather than a religious statement.
Amid the voices of support and dissent, Djennat, a twenty-two-year-old who wears abayas at home, questioned the rationale behind the ban. She argued that the abaya is simply a loose, long dress and not inherently tied to any religious significance. This sentiment was shared by Daoud Riffi, a teacher of Islam studies, who suggested that the idea of an “Islamic outfit” is a misconception that needs to be debunked.
France’s history with such bans includes the prohibition of headscarves in schools in 2004 and the subsequent ban on full-face veils in public spaces in 2010. These measures have at times generated controversy within the country’s sizable Muslim community and have even led to the establishment of private Muslim schools, according to De Feo.
Interestingly, less than a year ago, Education Minister Gabriel Attal’s predecessor, Pap Ndiaye, opposed banning the abaya, citing the complexity of legally defining the garment. The nuances of this debate underscore the challenges of navigating the delicate balance between secularism and religious freedom.
As discussions continue to unfold, experts like Riffi and De Feo highlight the emerging fashion trends among high school girls, such as purchasing long dresses and kimonos online. They caution against drawing lines between fashion and religion that could potentially lead to profiling students based on their identities.
In the end, France’s decision to ban abaya robes in schools has set off a fresh debate around the balance between secularism, religious expression, and personal identity. While the move has been embraced by some and criticized by others, it underscores the ongoing complexity of addressing the influence of religion in the public education system.
By: M Z Hossain, Editor Sky Buzz Feed
