France’s abaya robe ban in schools: overreach from the state?

A move denounced by Muslim leaders, but welcomed by the far right, and head teachers

Woman wearing an abaya robe and headscarf outside school in France
The education minister said the garment violated France’s strict secular laws in education
(Image credit: Miguel Medina / AFP / Getty)

The abaya has “no place in schools”, according to France’s education minister, announcing a ban on the loose, dress-like garment in state schools.

The clothing, popularly worn in many Gulf and Middle East countries, is “a religious gesture”, Gabriel Attal told French TV channel TF1. The ban, which will come into force at the start of the school year on 4 September, is in line with “laïcité” (secularism), a cornerstone of French policy, he said. “When you walk into a classroom, you shouldn’t be able to identify the pupil’s religion just by looking at them.”

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Harriet Marsden is a writer for The Week, mostly covering UK and global news and politics. Before joining the site, she was a freelance journalist for seven years, specialising in social affairs, gender equality and culture. She worked for The Guardian, The Times and The Independent, and regularly contributed articles to The Sunday Times, The Telegraph, The New Statesman, Tortoise Media and Metro, as well as appearing on BBC Radio London, Times Radio and “Woman’s Hour”. She has a master’s in international journalism from City University, London, and was awarded the "journalist-at-large" fellowship by the Local Trust charity in 2021.