The education minister says female Muslim students will not be allowed to wear the loose-fitting robe.

Pupils will be banned from wearing abayas, loose-fitting full-length robes worn by some Muslim women, in France’s state-run schools, the education minister has said.

The rule will be applied as soon as the new school year starts on 4 September.

France has a strict ban on religious signs in state schools and government buildings, arguing that they violate secular laws.

Wearing a headscarf has been banned since 2004 in state-run schools.

    • SulaymanF@lemmy.worldEnglish
      15·
      1 year ago

      No it isn’t. The 2004 law banned “large” crosses and allowed small ones but banned ALL hijabs.

      It was never equally enforced.

      • TheGrandNagus@lemmy.worldEnglish
        4·
        1 year ago

        Allowed small ones, obscured by clothing.

        A necklace under your shirt is fine. That applies as equally to a cross as it does to an islamic moon and star.

        They just aren’t allowed to be massive so that they’re visible even under some clothing.

        • SulaymanF@lemmy.worldEnglish
          3·
          1 year ago

          The law is already unequal and discriminatory and that’s before we even get to the unequal enforcement. Muslims are sent home from school while Christians are not for the same rule violations (e.g. Christians in France who observe Ash Wednesday).

        • assassin_aragorn@lemmy.worldEnglish
          2·
          1 year ago

          Don’t you think it’s culturally biased? The norm for Christians is a small cross necklace. The norm for Muslims is not. Isn’t it quite convenient that the exception fits well with one religion but not the other?