French education minister to ‘limit’ Muslim clothing in schools

LONDON: A French government minister has pledged to confront an increase in clothing associated with Muslim cultures in French schools, which, he says, is counter to French values of secularism.

Pap Ndiaye, the minister of education, described the phenomenon as a “wave” encouraged by online religious influencers.

France banned religious symbols and clothing in schools in a bid to prevent Muslim girls from wearing veils 18 years ago. 

However, Ndiaye said influencers, especially on TikTok, were encouraging young girls to flout the ban by turning up to school wearing abayas, incidences of which increased by 40 percent in 2021.

“We are going to do what is necessary to limit the harmful influence of these Islamist agitators. The Republic is stronger than TikTok,” Ndiaye said.

France is home to a large immigrant community and around 6 million Muslims, many of whom resent the country’s attitude toward religious dress as a product of its foundational secularism.

This week, clashes broke out between pupils and police at a school in a Paris suburb for the second time, after the head teacher banned abayas.

Ministers have also suggested that online Islamists are targeting boys too, encouraging them to wear garments such as thawbs.

Teachers, though, have voiced confusion as to whether or not thawbs and abayas constitute religious dress or whether they should be considered cultural items, leading to questions over whether they should be banned.

Didier Georges, a member of the head teachers’ union, told The Times: “We’d like a clear rule that we don’t have to interpret.”