France Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau has vowed to ban the wearing of the hijab by chaperones, women who accompany children on school trips.
The French minister made his remarks during an interview with the newspaper Le Parisien, noting that chaperones “should not wear the veil.”
“The 2004 law on religious symbols must be applied to these activities: school outings are school outside the walls,” he said, noting that his wish is to introduce a legislation that could take the form of a “bill.”
“The veil is not just a simple piece of cloth: It is a banner for Islamism, and a symbol of subjugation of women to men,” he said, noting that secularism should be extended to other public spaces.
France has been subject to sharp criticism over its approach to Islam-realted matters, which many have deemed Islamophobic and extreme against muslim communities.
The country’s Muslim community also face different racist and Islamophibic attacks, including offensive comments on social media, acts of vandalism, as well as sabotage acts targeting mosques, cemeteries and Muslim run-businesses.
The latest such attack took place in November last year, when a 43 year old Muslim woman was violently attacked by two French women.
“We should get rid of her like the Palestinians,” the attackers said.
“They pinned me to the ground and beat me. They ripped off my hijab and hair while calling me a ‘dirty race,’” the victim said.
Over the years, France has repeatedly faced backlash for its policies targeting Muslims, including the discriminatory measures that bar women and girls who choose to wear the hijab from participating in sports, including in schools.
In October last year, UN exports called on France to eliminate this discriminatory measure against hijab-donning women and girls.
“Muslim girls and women who wear the hijab must have equal rights to participate in cultural and sporting life, as well as in all aspects of French society,” the experts stated.
