Paris – The Council of State of France, the highest administrative judicial instance, yesterday rejected a petition presented by an association that defends the rights of the Muslim community to repeal the ban decreed by the French Government on the use of the abaya in classrooms.
The garment is a tunic that covers the entire body, except the face, hands and feet, and is commonly used in Maghrebi and Arab countries. Following the announcement made by Emmanuel Macron’s government last month, the ban on the use of the abaya in schools was applauded by right-wing political forces, but the left argued that it represented an affront to civil liberties.
A 2004 law prohibits “the use of signs or attire by which students ostensibly display a religious affiliation” in schools. This includes Christian crosses, Jewish kippahs, and Islamic scarves.
“The law prohibits, within public educational establishments, the use by students of posters or clothing that conspicuously demonstrate, either by themselves or by their behavior, their affiliation to a religion,” he indicated in his decision. the Council, appealing to legislation that guarantees secularism in the educational system. In this sense, he argued that the ban on the abaya decreed by the Government “does not affect” the “right to private life, freedom of religion, the right to education and respect for the best interests of the child or the principle of nondiscrimination”.
The Council of State also stressed that the use of this garment “is part of a logic of religious affirmation, as can be seen from the observations made during the dialogues.”
Source: Ambito
