France to Ban Full-Length Muslim Robes in Public Schools Religious symbols are already banned in French schools, but the abaya — a loosefitting robe worn by some Muslim women — was in a gray area.

Muslim Students’ Robes Are Latest Fault Line for French Identity. When the French education minister declared that the abayas favored by some Muslim women “can no longer be worn in schools ...

French Education Minister Gabriel Attal said the long, robe-like garments often worn by Muslim women wouldn’t be permitted in the nation’s schools from the new term, which starts in September.

France to ban abayas in state schools 05:21. France is to ban Islamic garments known as abayas in schools from September, the government announced Sunday, with a top official calling them a ...

The decision on the robes, worn by some Muslim women, is part of a ban on religious symbols in state schools to uphold France's strict brand of secularism. Skip to main content.