France bans the abaya robe from being worn in schools, sparking fury from Islamic leaders

Muslim leaders have reacted furiously to a sudden move by the French government to ban the abaya in state schools.

The loose-fitting long robe is considered too closely linked to Islam by Gabriel Attal, the education minister in Paris.

France has a strict ban on religious signs in state schools and government buildings, as they violate secularism laws.

Announcing a ban to take effect on September 4, at the start of the new school year, Mr Attal said: ‘When you walk into a classroom, you shouldn’t be able to identify the students’ religion just by looking at them . I have decided that the abaya may no longer be worn in schools.’

But Abdallah Zekri, vice president of France’s Council of Muslim Worship, said the abaya “has never been a religious symbol anyway.”

Instead, he said the ban is yet another example of politicians using clothes preferred by women and girls to attack some five million Muslims in France.

“I think the minister could have asked the opinion of religious leaders,” Mr Zerkri said.

‘For me, the abaya is not a religious dress, it is a form of fashion.

“If you go to some stores, you will find abayas. It is a long and loose dress at the same time. It has nothing to do with religion.’

In June, France’s Council of Muslim Worship (CFCM) also ruled that the abaya was not an Islamic religious sign.

Mr Zekri said he was “surprised that the issue of the abaya in classrooms has become a priority, while education teams are concerned about lack of funding, lack of teachers and a host of other problems in schools.”

In 2010, France banned the wearing of full-face veils in public, sparking anger among Muslims over the so-called ‘Burka ban’.

The country has enforced a strict ban on religious signs in schools since the 19th century, and now this includes the Jewish skullcap.