Rabat – France’s highest court, the Council of State, has rejected an appeal that condemned the French government’s abaya ban on Monday.
The court issued its statement today, suggesting that the French government’s ban on abaya, a loose, full-length robe worn by some Muslim women, is legal.
Under the ban, women – including students – are prohibited from wearing the Muslim garment, a situation that sparked outrage among the Muslim community in France.
Monday’s ruling by the Council comes as many continue to express their frustration and dismay, including three unions that filed an appeal against the verdict to uphold the abaya ban at schools.
However, the court rejected the appeal of the Sud Education Paris, La Voix Lyceenne, and Le Poing Leve Lycee, which had expressed their dissatisfaction with France’s abaya ban in an appeal request.
Vincent Brengarth, a lawyer for the Muslim Rights Action, also submitted an appeal to the Council of State last month to end the abaya ban.
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The Council of State rejected the appeal earlier this month, claiming that the ban “does not seriously violate and is not manifestly illegal to the right to respect for private life, the freedom of religion, the right to education.”
France has justified its decision by claiming that it was necessary to “maintain secularism” in education.
The decision has been challenged by many, with some 300 girls arriving at schools wearing abayas on the very day the ban was scheduled to enter into force.
In defending the controversial ban, President Emmanuel Macron has claimed that it is important to avoid the “misuse of religion to challenge the republic and secularism.”
Wearing a headscarf in public schools has been banned in France since 2004.
Many have denounced the rise of Islamophobia in France, as well as discrimination against migrants and Muslims.
One of the latest testimonies attesting to a continued increase in Islamophobia is the story of Karim, a 24-year-old man whose dream to become a police officer was shattered due to a prayer mark on his forehead.
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During an interview with a police officer in March 2021, the Muslim man was questioned about the mark on his forehead.
Seven months later, Karim received an email from the prefecture, emphasizing that his application had been rejected.
“During your interview, concerns were raised about the essential duty of neutrality for a police officer. Consequently, since the above-mentioned facts are incompatible with the requested duties, your application has not received approval from the police prefect,” Turkish news outlet AA quoted the police’s response as saying.
