Pupils will be banned from wearing abayas, loose-fitting full-length robes worn by some Muslim women, in France’s state-run schools, the education minister has said.

The rule will be applied as soon as the new school year starts on 4 September.

France has a strict ban on religious signs in state schools and government buildings, arguing that they violate secular laws.

Wearing a headscarf has been banned since 2004 in state-run schools.

  • @Flyswat@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    1 year ago

    I don’t deny that there are occurrences where some girls are forced. What about the 95% others?

    You can’t put forth a law punishing the majority for a “likely”. What happened to the “Liberté Egalité Fraternité” which this liberticide law is obviously trampling?

    The population has been fed the islamophobic narrative long enough to have such laws pass without anybody thinking about how ridiculous they are (replace hijab/abaya with dreadlocks or other piece of clothing… What do other people care?). The divide is so deep and constantly maintained by the politicians who, since they find no real answers the actual problems plaguing the day to day life of citizen, prefer to turn them against each other: divide to better rule.

    • @SCB@lemmy.world
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      81 year ago

      France has never once, in the history of the country, ever given half a shit about doing the right thing or not disenfranchising people.

      They have a very cool history but France is a shit show top to bottom.

      Basically all of their governing tenets only exist to prevent the French from just living in a state of constant revolution.

      • @Guntrigger@feddit.ch
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        11 year ago

        It’s funny that the French are romanticised as a revolutionary people, always ready to stand up to the man and fight for the people.

        They’ve probably just been shit on by their own government more that most other nations, so they’ve reached that tipping point of revolution more than anyone else.

        • @SCB@lemmy.world
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          11 year ago

          The French are the ones doing a lot of the shitting on themselves. The Reign of Terror wasn’t a government initiative.

        • @SCB@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          Never said it was and never would. Every country has its crazy shit. France’s is just very visible.

          As an American, I can relate to that.

    • Having gone to school with many muslims, sadly, it’s more like 4/5. As in, 4 out of 5 of those girls are forced to wear their religious garment. If they don’t it’s seen as shameful for their entire family.

      Some are beaten but most of them are given a free choice: they can choose not to wear it and leave their family (and most friends). Or they can choose to abide and show how much they love god. Not many 10 year old girls choose to leave their family though.

      And the other 1/5th are the full on religious fruitcakes.

      • @Flyswat@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        1 year ago

        I have anecdotal experiences too: my sister is Muslim and was wearing hijab in France. Of her own will. My parents argued repeatedly AGAINST it because of all the problems she’d have (and she did have) in that glorious free country. But she wouldn’t budge, because she didn’t want a human to dictate to her what she could wear.

        In many places such dress code is more cultural than religious. From the religious point of view, yes women are to wear it however one cannot FORCE them to. In some places they do, but the scripture does not allow this.

        In secular countries people do not know the difference or don’t even bother because it mostly affects non whites. Instead of tracking the cases where there is abuse and dealing with them accordingly, they just ban it wholesale across the board. It’s like banning knives because some people use them violently.