Girl’s father threatens to kill headteacher for enforcing abaya dress ban at French school – after his daughter twice ignored the rule
Girl’s father threatens to kill headteacher for enforcing ban on abaya clothing at French school – after daughter flouted rule twice
- The ban on abaya clothing came into effect on Wednesday
A man whose daughter was sent home twice is said to have threatened to kill the principal after imposing a ban on abaya clothing at a French school.
The high school student’s father is suspected of making the death threats over the phone.
According to C Newsthe daughter attends the Ambroise-Brugière secondary school in Clermont-Ferrand, which has almost 1,300 students.
She was turned away from the school gates twice after refusing to follow the government’s new dress code policy.
The first time the student wore the abaya, a loose-fitting long robe, to school, but was sent back home.
France has a strict ban on religious signs in state schools and government buildings because they violate secularism laws (stock image)
But when she returned to school on Thursday wearing an abaya, she was banned from entering the establishment.
The school’s action angered her father, who eventually called the principal to demand an explanation and reportedly issued the death threats.
The school wasted no time, quickly alerting the National Education hierarchy and a complaint was filed.
Since the incident, the man has been taken to Clermont-Ferrand police station and remains under police custody as investigations continue.
Gabriel Attal, Minister of National Education and Youth of France, also expressed support for the director for following the government protocol.
The French Minister of Education made headlines around the world when he announced that the abaya would be banned in public schools
In France, the new dress code ban came into effect this week, on Wednesday 4 September.
Announcing the new measure, Mr Attal said: “When you walk into a classroom, you should not be able to identify the religion of the students just by looking at them. I have decided that the abaya can no longer be worn in schools. ‘
The country also has a strict ban on religious signs in state schools and government buildings as they violate secularism laws.
However, the government’s actions have sparked a debate among religious leaders across the country.
Abdallah Zekri, vice president of the French Council for Muslim Worship, said the abaya “has never been a religious symbol anyway.”
Instead, he said the ban is yet another example of politicians using clothing that favors women and girls to target some five million Muslims in France.