Making the announcement on Sunday, French Education Minister Gabriel Attal justified that the contentious move aims to shift focus from religion to education in schools. … When you enter a classroom, you shouldn’t be able to identify the religion of pupils,” Attal told French TV channel TF1. “I announce that [pupils] will no longer be able to wear abaya at school,” he added. The move comes as France observes a spike in schoolgoers wearing the abaya. France's religious tensionsIn 2004, France banned traditional headscarves, Jewish kippahs, and big crosses.

Source: The North Africa Journal August 28, 2023 08:40 UTC