French State Schools Turn Away 298 Girls Wearing Muslim Abaya Dress

According to the French education minister, about 300 students appeared at school on Monday wearing the abaya, a long Muslim robe prohibited in schools last week.

The majority of the girls consented to change their outfits.

Official records show that 298 girls, mostly aged 15 and older, wore the prohibited clothing to school.

Following the ministry’s directions, each case had a communication time with school staff.

Most females then decided to dress differently and were permitted to begin classes.

67 girls, however, refused to comply and were sent home.

A new round of discussions with their families will now take place. If it fails, they will be kicked out.

Compared to the 12 million schoolboys and girls who began classes on Monday, the administration feels the data prove that the prohibition has been widely accepted.

However, a judicial challenge filed by an organization representing some Muslims will be heard later today.

According to the French education minister, about 300 students appeared at school on Monday wearing the abaya, a long Muslim robe prohibited in schools last week.

At the end of August, the education minister declared that students in France’s state-run schools would be prohibited from wearing the loose-fitting, full-length robes some Muslim women used beginning September 4th.

Religious signage is strictly prohibited in state schools and government buildings in France, stating that they contravene secular rules.

Since 2004, wearing a headscarf at state-run schools has been prohibited.

The decision follows months of controversy around the wearing of abayas in French schools.

The garment is increasingly being worn in schools, causing a political schism, with right-wing parties campaigning for a ban and those on the left concerned about the rights of Muslim women and girls.

France banned full-face veils in public in 2010, infuriating France’s five million-strong Muslim community.

Since the nineteenth century, France has strictly prohibited religious indications in schools, especially Christian symbols such as huge crosses, to limit Catholic influence in public education.

It has revised the rule throughout the years to include the Muslim headscarf and Jewish kippa, reflecting its growing demographic, but abayas have not been explicitly banned until now.

SOURCE – (BBC)