France Bans the Islamic Dress Code: The Jilbab

News:

France bans Islamic abaya in schools.

Comment:

After banning the hijab (the headscarf) of the Muslim women in schools and in the public sector now the jilbab (outer garment) of the Muslim women in schools has been banned by Gabriel Attal the new education minister announces. The ban has been received very positively from the right to the left of the political spectrum. The right-wing opposition party Les Républicains is pleased with the ban, "which we have requested several times before." Politicians from the left-wing Socialist Party consider the ban justified, “as the abaya is a clear religious expression”. Also, a union of school administrators responded pleased to the news, stating to the AFP news agency, "Previously, the rules were unclear and now they have been clarified."

Gabriel Attal said that: “when you walk into a classroom, you shouldn’t be able to identify the pupils’ religion just by looking at them” and called the abaya dress "a religious gesture, clearly intended to test the republic's resilience to the secular sanctuary that a school should be."

This makes it clear that the ban on the abaya, is a ban on the Islamic dress code for the Muslim women (jilbab). So, any discussion whether the abaya is a traditional attire or not is irrelevant because the purpose of the ban is clear, the ban is against the jilbab.

The ban on the jilbab fits into a broader political context in France specifically targeting Muslims. To mention a couple of its discriminatory and aggressive policies: As mentioned the headscarf has already been completely banned in the public sector. Not long ago the current French President Macron announces that Islam is facing a "crisis"undermined the faith of millions both in France and beyond. Heeven projected cartoons of the Prophet (saw) onto government buildings in France. Numerous mosques and Islamic organizations have been forcibly closed, and Muslims are labelled as "separatists." Even schoolchildren have been arrested and treated as criminals for expressing their justified aversion to these offensive cartoons. Further measures were made to prevent home-schooling for Muslim children where they would be educated in the Quran or learn their native language. These incidents are just a glimpse into the broader oppression ongoing in France.

In this ongoing attack against Islamic expressions and symbols in the midst of the so-called cradle of civilization of enlightenment, one would assume some a kind of a noteworthy intellectual arguments for its justification. But the reality is that the hate campaign is covered with meaningless slogans of secularism and freedom which is in contradiction with their own actions or policies or even goes against it. Just to give a small impression: Gabriel Attal claims that “Secularism is not a restriction but a freedom.” So, secularism is not a restriction but Muslim women are forbidden to wear the hijab, niqab and now the jilbab? Secularism is freedom but they force the secular way of live upon Muslims and take away their “freedom” to wear the hijab, niqab or the jilbab.

This not only portraits the incapability and bankruptcy of the secular thought but it shows that actions and policies are disowned from any solid or legal principles and based upon emotions. Hate is the driving force against Islam and the Muslims. This is, in a nutshell, what is happening in France. So, no sound counter-argument will enter the minds of these blind and deaf, only a united, firm and uncompromising stance of Muslims opposing this falsity and oppression.

[قَدْ بَدَتِ الْبَغْضَاء مِنْ أَفْوَاهِهِمْ وَمَا تُخْفِي صُدُورُهُمْ أَكْبَرُ قَدْ بَيَّنَّا لَكُمُ الآيَاتِ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ]

“… their hatred is apparent in what they say, and what their hearts hide is even worse. We have made Our revelations clear to you, if you would only use your reason.” [Aali Imran: 118].

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Okay Pala
Media Representative of Hizb ut Tahrir in The Netherlands