It is very efficient at having people talk about it, and temporarily forget all the places missing teachers, the sad state of a lot of school buildings, the lack of recognition (and decent salary) that’s been the norm for decades at this point, and actual issues regarding kids.
The law is there to remind that no religious sign or clothe are accepted into the public system. People who disagree with it can go to the private school.
Except it’s been extended beyond religious clothing. An abaya is not specifically a religious clothing or something mandated by a religion, it is something worn in some places where people happens to be of that religion. No religious texts calls for it, where other things like burka and headscarfs where more directly linked to islam.
Here, it’s a dress, that people in arabic countries wear. It’s literally fashion police.
France is the country of human rights, it protects by the right of asylum any person who is the victim of persecution in his country.
The School of the Republic allows any dress, as long as it is not proselytising.
This prohibition is not compatible with private life, freedom of religion, the right to education and the principle of non-discrimination.
This dress is part of a logic of religious affirmation. It is compulsory for women in Qatar. There is no evidence that a student in France is forced or not to wear the abaya.
This story of the abaya illustrates a question that runs through the whole of society: the question of boundaries. It seems increasingly difficult to impose rules, to apply them, without running the risk of being accused of authoritarianism.
I’m saying France’s institutions either can handle religious garb, in which case they are needlessly persecuting people, which is objectively evil, or they can’t, in which case the French are focusing on the wrong things and should fix their institutions.
It is very efficient at having people talk about it, and temporarily forget all the places missing teachers, the sad state of a lot of school buildings, the lack of recognition (and decent salary) that’s been the norm for decades at this point, and actual issues regarding kids.
The law is there to remind that no religious sign or clothe are accepted into the public system. People who disagree with it can go to the private school.
Except it’s been extended beyond religious clothing. An abaya is not specifically a religious clothing or something mandated by a religion, it is something worn in some places where people happens to be of that religion. No religious texts calls for it, where other things like burka and headscarfs where more directly linked to islam. Here, it’s a dress, that people in arabic countries wear. It’s literally fashion police.
Is it a part of the French culture ?
It’s not self-important or pretentious, so no, we have to concede that it isn’t part of traditional French culture.
It is, however, part of the culture of these French people.
Above all, it is an attack on secularism.
France is the country of human rights, it protects by the right of asylum any person who is the victim of persecution in his country. The School of the Republic allows any dress, as long as it is not proselytising.
This prohibition is not compatible with private life, freedom of religion, the right to education and the principle of non-discrimination. This dress is part of a logic of religious affirmation. It is compulsory for women in Qatar. There is no evidence that a student in France is forced or not to wear the abaya.
This story of the abaya illustrates a question that runs through the whole of society: the question of boundaries. It seems increasingly difficult to impose rules, to apply them, without running the risk of being accused of authoritarianism.
If someone wearing religious garb is an attack on secularism, your institutions suck and that’s where your focus should be.
I don’t see any argument in your comment.
I’m saying France’s institutions either can handle religious garb, in which case they are needlessly persecuting people, which is objectively evil, or they can’t, in which case the French are focusing on the wrong things and should fix their institutions.
This is exactly my problem with this. Regardless of your position on the issue it’s just a diversion to get us all riled up.