France Bans Abaya for Schoolgirls After Long Streak of Banning Outward Religious Devotion

Jakarta, Indonesia - In an extremely controversial move, the Minister of Youth and Education of France, Gabriel Attal, has announced a decision to ban the abaya in public schools, claiming that wearing the abaya in schools constituted a violation of “secular rules”.

“Our schools are being tested. These last few months, violations of our secular rules have considerably increased, particularly with regard to the wearing of religious clothing such as abayas or qamis (long male tunics)," Attal told reporters on Monday, as reported on by news outlet France 24. The ban itself is set to take place next month, and will be implemented throughout French public schools.

Since the year 2004, France has banned outward religious symbols in school life- including large crosses, the Jewish kippah, and headscarves typically worn by Muslim girls. In 2010, France drew further controversy as it banned Niqabs nationwide, which is the garment sometimes used by Muslim women which covers their entire face excluding their eyes.

The ban on the abaya is simply a further step in restricting religious clothing, as the abaya itself is simply a loose fitted robe Muslim girls wear. Coupled by the ban on headscarves, some Muslim schoolgirls in France now face the reality of not being able to follow their conscience without breaking school rules.

The ideology that served as the inspiration for the eventual implementation of this policy is France’s hardline Secularist ideology of “laicite”, which forbids any outward signs of religious devotion in schools. Different from other forms of secularism, which, at least in theory, seeks to separate Church and State, laicite aims to completely remove the influence of religion from public life.

France’s rules against outward religious devotion have been met with opposition over the years, from Muslim groups and leaders such as Turkey’s outspoken President Erdogan to figures such as Pope Francis, Bishop of Rome and sovereign of the Vatican City.

“If a Muslim woman wishes to wear a veil, she must be able to do so. Similarly, if a Catholic wishes to wear a cross” Pope Francis told the French Catholic newspaper La Croix, as reported on by the Guardian.

“People must be free to profess their faith at the heart of their own culture, not merely at its margins,” Pope Francis continued.

Over the years, schools such as the Catholic school of the College of Saint Mauront have been tolerating the usage of Islamic religious clothing in their school grounds, as private schools are free to make their own policy regarding headscarves. However, it is important to note that although certain private schools do allow it on their grounds, some also do not allow it, following government regulations.

As France continues escalating its policy in banning religious clothing, it appears that only further controversy would emerge. A conversation ought to be had, then, regarding the practical implementation of French Secularism. Is it really just to suppress people’s religious convictions in the name of Secularism?