France bans wear of Muslim Abaya gowns in public schools

The Abaya, a long traditional dress worn by a minority of female Muslim pupils, will be banned in France state schools, announced the minister of education Gabriel Attal on August 27th. On the first day of school on September 4th, nearly 300 schoolgirls defied the ban, according to the education ministry - most having eventually agreed to change clothes but 67 refused and were sent home. Various entities (Action for the rights of Muslims, deputies of french political party La France Insoumise and Amnesty International) condemned the rule as anti-sexular, sexist and racist toward Muslim girls and women in France.

See: France 24, The Guardian, BFM TV