Only recently, did we hear about a French journalist who called out Moroccan footballer, Nouhaila Benzina, and her choice of wearing hijab during the FIFA World Cup, as “regressive.” However, FIFA lifted the hijab ban in 2014.

The only thing regressive is going back to the days of colonialism and segregation, which people have fought so hard against and still find themselves battling to preserve. The 1960’s civil rights movement in America, for one, fought the segregated “Coloreds Only” signs on bathroom doors, school doors and hospital doors, among other public sectors. With the French government’s ruling on the “abaya ban” for students in state schools, perhaps this is heading toward or rather…heading backward: “Muslims Only?”

The abaya is a long-sleeved, ankle-length, loose-fitting dress so how does one know the difference between a normal maxi dress compared to an abaya? There’s only one way, really…the hijab. As long as a woman is wearing a modest dress with a hijab, she is scrutinized by the French Police.

According to sources including Al Jazeera, to enforce a ban on abayas in the classrooms of public schools, 14,000 educational personnel are expected to be trained by the end of the year and 300,000 by 2025. Meanwhile, Loubna Regui, President of the ELF-Muslim Students of France, tells Al Jazeera that the ban clearly targets immigrants and is “inherently racist.” She is not alone in that opinion; according to France24, Clementine Autain of the left-wing opposition France Unbowed Party, denounced the ban describing it as “policing of clothing,” “unconstitutional” and against the founding principles of France’s secular values; she goes on to say it is an “obsessive rejection of Muslims.” The founding principles that Autain refers to are part of a declaration at the top of the French Constitution: “The French Republic is indivisible, secular, democratic and social.”

Who was it that proposed this ban? Gabriel Attal is his name. He is a French politician of the Renaissance Party who served, since July, 2023, as Minister of National Education and Youth under Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne.

“When you enter a classroom, you should not be able to distinguish or identify the students’ religion by looking at them,” Attal told the TF1 television channel on Sunday, August 28, 2023. According to Attal, the abaya is “a religious gesture, aimed at testing the resistance of the republic toward the secular sanctuary that school must constitute.”

In response, The French Council of the Muslim Faith released a statement that the abaya is not a religious garment and that the government should not take it upon themselves to decide what is considered religious and what is not: “Unless all long dresses are banned altogether in schools, for students and teachers, regardless of their faith, it will be impossible to apply a measure specifically targeting the abaya without falling into the trap of discrimination and arbitrariness.”

Reuters, News18 and Al-Jazeera have quoted French sociologist, Agnes De Feo, who said, “It’s going to hurt Muslims in general. They will, once again, feel stigmatized. It’s really a shame because people will judge these young girls while it (the abaya) is a teenage expression without consequences.”

France is the first Western country to have started banning clothing and successfully so. It all began with the burkini, then the burqa, then hijab and now abaya. Other countries have followed in France’s footsteps including Switzerland and Germany. As of July 15, 2021, the Highest Court of the European Union banned hijab in the workplace; this means that an employer is legally permitted to dismiss any employee who has refused to remove the hijab when asked to do so.

“The abaya has no place in our schools, no more than religious symbols,” proclaimed Attal. “Schools must, at all costs, perhaps even more than any other institution, be protected from religious proselytism, from any embryo of communitarianism, or from the refusal of our most important common rules.”

Attal faces the challenge of distinguishing an abaya from a maxi dress, a risk of seeming discriminatory and breaking the four principles that the French Republic are expected to uphold and the misconception that an abaya is a religious garment when it is really a cultural one.

Sources:

–https://www.cbsnews.com/news/france-ban-islamic-abaya-pupils-attempt-convert-islam/
https://twitter.com/CfcmOfficiel/status/1696098111645454444

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/28/world/europe/france-ban-abaya-robes-schools.html

https://www.loc.gov/rr/print/list/085_disc.html

https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20230827-french-education-minister-announces-ban-on-islamic-abayas-in-schools

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/8/28/france-abaya-ban-how-far-will-clothes-police-go

About the Author:

Rumki Chowdhury is Editor of World Hijab Day Organization. Moreover, she is a professional editor and an award-winning published author and poet. She has an MA in English Literature from Queen Mary University of London, a BA in English Writing from William Paterson University of New Jersey and an English Subject Teaching Degree from Gävle Högskolan in Stockholm, Sweden. She speaks Bengali and Swedish fluently! She has years of experience in the media and publishing worlds. Rumki lives with her husband and their three daughters.

Instagram and Facebook @rumkitheauthor

Twitter @rumkichowdhury

The post FRANCE BANS THE ABAYA appeared first on World Hijab Day.

There was a point in my life when I thought no one loved me so I started hating myself without realization. I couldn’t understand what was wrong with me. I heard people, whom I thought were my friends, saying bad things regarding me which I had never done. Then I decided that to move on, I had to leave certain people. That is when I decided to wear the Hijab. I always had a strong wish to wear it.

Whenever I saw Hijabi girls, I would say to myself that Masha Allah! I will be like them and please Allah too. I believed such are the people who remind us of Allah so I dreamed to be like them.

Most of us think that being born Muslims, our affection for the Lord is already great which is wrong. The more you learn about this beautiful religion, the more you love Allah.  So I gradually learned to love Him. I started questioning myself that if I really loved Allah then why am I not doing what He wishes of me?  Why do I still love this Duniya (worldly affairs) even knowing that the only reality is Akhirah (Hereafter)?  I understood that Allah removed some people from my life because they wouldn’t help in building my relationship with Him and now after all that time, I totally get it that He DOES love me! Everything I thought I had lost forever was replaced by something way better by His Mercy.

I stopped making excuses like “I am young”, “I still have time”, “yeah, someday?” I knew that wearing Hijab in France is quite difficult but Alhamdulillah, I firmly decided to do what He wanted because after going through so much, I realized that Allah always knows what is best for us. I had to attend university that year but couldn’t do so because of an issue with my passport and took a break instead.  Besides, schoolwork was a real “problem” for me. I took it as an indication, a sign from Allah that this is the right time to take the big step. So I finally wore the Hijab and it felt like a proof of the fact that Allah always decides what is best for us! He is indeed the best planner!

I understand that people may look at us quite differently but in the end, who cares about the people? Our true friends will love and accept us just the way we are and help us getting closer to Allah.

Sisters, always remember to  be proud of your Hijab.

The post In the test of time, I found Him appeared first on World Hijab Day.

Exactly one year ago, I shared with you my story on how being a Hijabi student in France was like on WorldHijabDay.com.

Today, 365 and a few more days later, I have understood many things and wanted to share them with you.

I understood that people don’t actually hate Hijab. They just don’t understand its meaning and purpose. And it is our role to show them how much we appreciate its significance. So that, they may also choose to see it the same by first being ourselves and embracing it. Our Hijab is part of us. Being covered doesn’t limit us. In fact, it opens up a whole new world. A world in which we know we’re being judged on our intellect, ambition, strength, and how clever we are.

Sometimes, people are curious. I am sure every single Hijabi out there has already been asked: why she wears it?  If she has been forced? If she can just remove it during the summer, etc.? Understand that these are genuine questions people may truly want to know the answers to. We have to educate ourselves, and therefore be ready to face any kind of remarks – even it being rude, or discriminatory – with politeness. Because a Hijabi is a lady. And ladies don’t start fights, they finish them with kindness.

Embracing your Hijab implies you to embrace your femininity. Don’t be scared of taking care of yourself. If anyone, whether being a man or a woman, explain that Hijab doesn’t oppress women. In fact, it oppresses men that can’t see us! Now, that’s clever!

While reading my precedent contribution to WHD, I noticed I talked about how difficult it was to find an internship, or a workplace in France which allows you to wear your headscarf. Although, I had to go through several problems during my last internship due to my headscarf, I made my position clear from the beginning and always stayed firm.

In fact, even if I may, still, face some difficulties. I embraced them as part of my success. I actually had the opportunity to evolve in two different French medias, and hopefully by the Will of God, this is only the start.

If I may give some advice to young Hijabis, (and non Hijabis) who are facing problems linked to their faith, it would be to your benefit if you choose not to be excluded from society. You are part of it. You are contributing to the development of your country, wherever your country may be. If you live in the West, don’t let anyone treat you as if you are a foreigner because you’re NOT.

In order to be able to face those difficulties, I beg you ladies to avoid communitarianism (a system of social organization based on small self-governing communities), this exists , even inside of Muslim communities, which unfortunately is way too separated, lately. Don’t be scared of claiming your rights, you deserve them. Only if you love and respect yourself, and the others will love and respect you.

The post Being covered doesn’t limit us appeared first on World Hijab Day.

When I found out about the World Hijab Day a few weeks ago, I immediately wanted to be part of it.

As you might know, the situation about the Hijab in France is really a delicate subject.  Hijabis in France have hard time getting a job or get educated. At times, no job at all.  Therefore, lots of Muslim women have no choice but to not wear the hijab because they need to earn money to live or just to go to school.

The law restricts the hijab and can punish you for wearing it. They say it’s because the hijab is against the Republic. I personally think that Republic  gives us freedom and the freedom is to have choice, but with this law there is no choice for Muslim French citizens who contribute to the economics of the country. There is no freedom for Muslim women. It’s very sad and heartbreaking.

Because of that, Muslim people are held back and non-Muslim can’t understand what is the hijab and why women wear it. I think the situation is just misunderstanding and non-Muslims are just afraid of the unknown and that’s natural. As French Muslims, we need to show them that hijab is a choice, a freedom, a blessing, and does not cause any harm.

I told my friends about World Hijab day and asked them to spread the word to my non-Muslim friends. February 1^st is an opportunity to show them that I am the same person whether I wear hijab or not.

I think educating people about hijab can create more positive outcomes. It starts with communicating with our neighbors in France.  I believe World Hijab Day opens up a great pathway to get to know our neighbors, insha’Allah (God-willing).

The post An open letter from a French Hijabi appeared first on World Hijab Day.