Although the wearing of signs and costumes displaying "religious affiliation" has been banned in French public secondary schools since the 2004 law, there has been a significant increase in abayas and shirts worn by boys;
It has doubled in secondary schools since last February and with the advent of Ramadan, some principals are even expressing their displeasure and questioning why the clothes are so popular.
With this observation, the French newspaper “Le Figaro” launched a joint investigation between Caroline Bayer, Aude Paretti and Stefan Kovacs, in which they mentioned that the Council of Secular Elders - established by former Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquet in 2018, and the National Committee for Secular Action, which includes the Left Parents Union and the League Education and the Federation of Education Syndicates - Unanimously agreed to increase this religious clothing in some regions and secondary schools, and linked this to the month of Ramadan.
However, the National Union of National Education Employees said that it had not received an “alert on this matter,” as well as the Union of Student Parents Councils, which instead refers to “an escalation related to summer clothes,” while some of the directorates asked by “Le Figaro” remained silent about this issue. , with the exception of the Paris Directorate which noted a "significant increase in referrals related to the wearing of religious symbols, especially clothing" and stressed that its Secular and Religious Affairs team was "fully mobilized".
Accidents related to wearing signs and fashion account for 14% of attacks on Muslim women after "verbal provocations" (Getty Images)
increased accidents
In this context, the investigation says that French President Emmanuel Macron responded to an article in the newspaper "L'Opinion" that referred to an "epidemic" and a number of incidents that erupted in recent months in various academies, as the president said that he and Minister of National Education Bab Ndiaye "They will look, measure and respond with the greatest clarity to all situations that do not respect the laws of the Republic," adding, "I want truth and clarity in all numbers."
The investigation indicated that "614 attacks on secularism" were reported in September and November 2021, and more disturbing was what happened in the academies of "Versailles", "Cretille" and "Lille", where incidents related to "wearing signs" represent and fashion” 14% of the attacks after “verbal provocations”, but this data based on the observations of teachers and heads of institutions has no statistical value.
According to one of those close to this issue, "not all accidents are raised", concluding that these numbers are the tree that hides the forest, and that the repeated rise associated with the abayas before and after Ramadan reveals a dynamic that did not exist before, and some teachers do not know that the abaya is forbidden. in public schools.
And this person close to the issue - as the newspaper quoted - expressed his "concern that the ministry did not say anything", at a time when everyone is anxiously awaiting what the new minister, Bab Ndiaye, who specializes in minority affairs, will do on the issue of secularism, noting that a number of school principals have informed There has been a marked increase in abaya-related incidents, and the Council of Elders and the National Education Services are studying how to provide a coherent response.
The Ministry of Defense's book on secularism in the school had anticipated such a scenario, and indicated that the issue was not just about "signs or clothing that inherently demonstrate religious affiliation", such as the veil, the Jewish skullcap and the Grand Cross, but about all the signs or clothing that "do not speak only of religious affiliation." Religion, but wearing it to clearly show religious affiliation.” The ministry even considered the wearing of a long, dark-colored skirt for a university student with a headscarf partially covering her hair as an indication of religious affiliation.
For its part, the Anti-Islamophobia Rally in Europe (dissolved in France after the assassination of Professor Samuel Baty) condemns discrimination, harassment and dehumanization of young girls, and points to their threat because of their long dress and their racist treatment.
And this group published on Twitter the testimony of the student Maysa (a pseudonym), a student in the last year, who says, “We know that it is not permissible for us to wear the hijab in high school and therefore we do not wear it, but we still have the right to wear dresses,” before adding, “It remained The school kept saying to me: Were you allowed to enter like this? It's not acceptable. The next day, the educational advisor called me, telling me that they (the school administration) were worried because these clothes were a sign of extremism."
The site warned that the principal finally allowed Maysa to wear long dresses that were "less sexy", believing that she "does not have an extremist personality." She took off her clothes and offered her other clothes, which she refused.
Despite the existence of the 2004 law banning religious symbols in schools, the number of headscarves in France's schools increased (Getty Images)
differentiated treatment
“Obviously we have visible remnants, but it is already a political sign that should not be put under the rug,” says Delphine Girard, a literature professor who has long taught in difficult regions and co-founded Vigilance in high schools after the assassination of Samuel Baty. The 2004 law requires a political awareness that is not necessarily possessed by high school students, especially in disadvantaged neighborhoods, and therefore “don’t be mistaken, this is not spontaneous but an attack by adults who use teens as mentors to challenge the 2004 law,” says the professor.
On the other hand, the newspaper cited - in its report - what was broadcast by colleagues in "Al-Jazeera Plus" (AJ+) recently, about the testimony of a young woman from Marseille who almost missed the baccalaureate (high school) exam because of her dress, which was considered long, as the educational consultant in her secondary school told her: Because of your dress.. I can't let you in, it's not in the right clothes." Then I asked her if she could take off her dress in front of everyone, but the student was called to another appointment for the exam.
"It's unfair," says this student. "I could have been fired because of it. Now, every morning when I wake up I get scared when I want to put on a dress, I tell myself they won't accept me."
Al-Jazeera Plus' lawyer confirmed that the case of this high school student was not isolated, and that "30% of the files received by the Anti-Islamophobia Group in Europe during May related to the problem of wearing skirts, long dresses or wide pants in public secondary schools."
For its part, the National Committee for Secular Action confirms that it has received reactions from teachers in the face of this "incident", and says that it advised teachers to search for the origin of these gowns and shirts worn by certain students.
And it turned out that they get it from sites selling clothes, things and religious publications, according to the report of Remy Servent, Secretary-General of the committee, "Therefore, there is no doubt about its nature," noting the importance of "dialogue" with the student before any disciplinary action.