After Banning Abaya in Schools: How France Exposes the Hypocrisy of Its Liberal Values

Despite its contradiction with its false slogans of “freedom,” France continues to systematically target its Muslim citizens under the pretext of upholding state secularism, displaying overt dual standards and racism.

The latest manifestation of this targeting is the announcement by French Education Minister Gabriel Attal to ban the wearing of the abaya in schools, claiming that “this attire violates the strict secular laws in the country’s education sector.”

Attal emphasized his intention to establish “clear national rules” for school principals to enforce the ban. He added, “When you enter a classroom, you should not be able to identify the students’ religion just by looking at them.” The ban came into effect on September 4, 2023.

French authorities had already banned the hijab in schools in 2004 and enacted a ban on wearing the niqab in public places in 2010.

President Emmanuel Macron, on the other hand, urged strict enforcement of the ban on wearing the abaya and other Islamic clothing. During a visit to a vocational high school in Orange, southern France, on September 1, he stated that the government “will not let anything pass. We know that there will be cases due to negligence, but we must be firm.”

Macron justified the ban by stating that “we should never leave teachers and school principals to face the pressures or challenges on this issue alone.” He emphasized that he stands with the school leaders and teachers, whom he described as “knights of the Republic,” asserting that “they have the right to defend secularism.”

He added, “We must express our support for them when they face threats and pressure,” and assured that “the state stands behind them.” Macron also promised that “in sensitive high schools or colleges, specific staff members will be selected to work alongside school principals and teachers to support them and participate in the necessary dialogue with families and students.”

 

Support Extremists

He reiterated his support for the abaya ban on September 4 during an interview with YouTuber Hugo Decrypte on his channel. Macron stated that this ban aims to defend secularism and the principles of the Republic.

Macron emphasized that schools in France are “free, secular, and compulsory,” from elementary school to the end of high school.

Several far-right extremists in France expressed strong support for the ban. Eric Ciotti, the president of the far-right Republican Party, tweeted on August 29, saying, “Banning abaya in schools is a timely and long-awaited decision. +150% attack on secularism by wearing religious clothing. The 2004 law protects our republican model, it is not applied enough.”

On the other hand, Eric Zemmour, the leader of the far-right Reconquete party and former presidential candidate, affirmed that “the decision of banning abayas is a good step if enforced.”

He added in a tweet on August 28, “We, with Parents Vigilants, have been calling for this ban for several months and are going even further by proposing the generalization of the wearing of uniforms to avoid any Islamic provocation at school.”

As for the far-right extremist party National Rally, led by Marine Le Pen, it welcomed the decision of the Minister of Education. However, they considered it insufficient to address the problems that both the French school system and society are grappling with.

 

Left Opposition

Despite the approval of many Socialist and Communist party members for the ban in the name of secularism, it faced significant opposition from many leftist voices.

The deputies from the New Ecological and Social People’s Union had the highest opposing votes. In this regard, Jean-Luc Melenchon, the leader of this leftist alliance, warned against the emergence of an artificial and absurd religious war.

Melenchon wrote in a tweet on August 28: “When will there be civil peace and true secularism that unites instead of exasperating?”

On the other hand, Clementine Autain, a deputy from the party France Insoumise, questioned to what extent the “dress police” in France would go.

Autain pointed out in a tweet on August 27 that Gabriel Attal’s decision is in violation of the constitution and the fundamental principles of secularism, describing it as an “obsessive rejection of Muslims.”

Manuel Bompard, the coordinator of the France Insoumise party, announced that they will resort to the Council of State to challenge this decision.

Bompard pointed out in a tweet on August 28 that “Islamic associations have stated that the abaya dress is not religious, and therefore there is no violation of secularism principles.”

He continued, “We expect more from the Minister of Education instead of stirring up fears and speculations about clothing that some statistics show only concerns 0.25% of French schools.”

 

Targeting Muslims

Omar Merabet, an expert on French affairs and a researcher at the School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences in Paris, asserted that the French state’s decision directly targets Muslims in France.

Merabet told Al-Estiklal that through this decision, the French government is looking for traps and wants to solve its complex problems by talking about the hijab one time, then the abaya another time, and the burkini yet another time.

He added that French schools have major issues, such as overcrowding and a shortage of teachers, especially in mathematics.

However, when you hear the Minister of Education’s statements, you would think that the only issue in France is the abaya.

He further stated, “We are in a secular state, which requires neutrality from the government and official entities towards all religions,” calling on France to respect its neutrality and secularism.

Merabet criticized the double standards in France regarding this type of clothing, saying that when a student named Fatima wears it, it is called an “abaya,” while when a student named Christine wears it, it is called a “dress.”

The French sociological researcher argued that this situation is unjust to Muslims and constitutes a direct targeting of them, demonstrating the widespread phenomenon of “Islamophobia” in the country.

Merabet mentioned that President Emmanuel Macron, through this decision, is throwing himself into the arms of extremism, openly and explicitly flirting with it.

Regarding the ability of French Muslims to confront the government’s decision, Merabet said that they “have no advocates and no one to defend them, making the situation difficult.”

Despite this, Merabet calls for unity and not giving in, urging them to rise up to defend their rights and freedoms.

 

Numerous Criticisms

Many criticisms have also been voiced regarding France’s decision to ban the wearing of Islamic abaya in primary and secondary schools.

Marta Hurtado, the spokesperson for the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, expressed her disapproval of France’s decision. She stated in a press release on August 29 that international human rights standards stipulate the necessity of not imposing restrictions on manifestations related to religion or belief, including clothing choices, except under extremely limited circumstances, including those related to safety, order, health, or public morals.

Hurtado clarified that the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights is aware of France’s announcement of the ban on wearing the abaya in schools but “cannot provide detailed comments at this time due to the lack of clarity in the announced plan or its implementation.”

The UN spokesperson added that achieving gender equality requires an understanding of the barriers that prevent women and girls from making free choices and creating an environment that supports their decisions, including clothing choices.

The French Council of the Muslim Religion also criticized the decision issued by the Ministry of Education in France. In a statement on August 28, the council argued that the abaya is not a religious symbol and emphasized that schools are places for knowledge and learning, not for proselytizing of any kind.

The council stressed the duty to avoid any erroneous connection between clothing and Islamic religious practice.

They highlighted that there is no religious reference or text in Islamic tradition suggesting that the abaya is an Islamic garment; rather, it is a term that refers to long clothing or a coat.

The council warned of the significant risks of the French government’s decision, as it may discriminate against Muslim girls in schools due to the “abaya.”

They stated that this decision constitutes a “highly discriminatory precedent” and called for “the prohibition of any long dress for all students and teachers without religious discrimination.”