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.

  • nogooduser@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    It’s difficult to say whether someone is wearing what they are wearing through choice or because it is demanded of them.

    I agree with you, demanding that they wear something else is not the answer.

    • CoderKat@lemm.ee
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      1 year ago

      Especially when they’re kids. People should be able to wear whatever they want. But kids don’t often get to choose what they want. They’re often at the mercy of what their parents want and that’s it.

      There’s also something to be said about pressure from family members. Even if the kid chose to wear something, did they really do so out of their own free will? Or because their parents said they’ll burn in hell for all eternity if they don’t?

      And it’s not like we’re talking about something like simple taste in clothing or mild culture differences. We’re talking about clothes that are drenched in misogyny. It’s not about literal clothing in a vacuum, but rather what those clothes imply about women as a whole.

      • SulaymanF@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Then you’re just replacing the oppressor with the state.

        Let children wear what they want.

        • Kecessa@sh.itjust.works
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          1 year ago

          What if their community’s pressure is the reason why they wear certain types of clothing?

          • glassware@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            This is the only reason why anyone wears any particular type of clothing. There is no style of clothing that it objectively makes sense to wear.

            • TheGrandNagus@lemmy.world
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              1 year ago

              We’re talking about children. They don’t have choice.

              And we see from Muslims, Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and others, that families can and will often disown you and treat you like shit over it.

              I’m in agreement with France here. They’re very consistent. Go to a state school? Keep religious displays out of it, full stop.

                • TheGrandNagus@lemmy.world
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                  1 year ago

                  Who says what I want is for kids to be able to choose to wear literally anything they want?

                  I was pointing out that kids don’t wear these out of choice, so it’s silly to act like the government is oppressing the kids by banning them.

                  I’m all for France aggressively separating religion and state institutions.

    • duviobaz@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      The eradication of the will to wear this stuff is the answer. Without religion, barely anyone will want to wear religious signs.