French MPs Under Fire for Criticising Schoolgirls Wearing Hijab During Parliament Visit - As-Salamu Alaykum
As-salamu alaykum. There’s a new controversy in France after a group of Muslim schoolgirls visited the National Assembly wearing hijabs. The assembly speaker, Yael Braun-Pivet, said their presence in the public gallery was “unacceptable” under France’s secular laws. She argued it clashed with the 2004 law on secularism in schools.
Her comments drew strong reactions. Some MPs agreed and called the images provocative, while others accused her of Islamophobia and of using secularism to single out Muslims. Critics pointed out that French rules already ban visible religious symbols for public school students - including crosses, hijabs, kippas and turbans - and that civil servants have similar limits. The abaya was also banned in public schools last year.
Images of the girls in the lower house spread quickly online, prompting debate about whether school rules apply during outings. Some officials said school trips are still part of school time, so the same rules should apply. Others noted that the rules for visitors to the assembly’s public gallery don’t explicitly ban the hijab.
Many Muslims in France and abroad see these disputes as part of a pattern where secular laws are used to target the Muslim community. The argument now is whether insisting on such bans is upholding neutrality or unfairly singling out faiths. As-salamu alaykum - it feels wrong to shame young students for practising their faith while visiting a civic institution.
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