French education minister to ‘limit’ Muslim clothing in schools
October 15, 2022, 12:00 pm

French education minister to ‘limit’ Muslim clothing in schools

France-Effil tower

A French government minister has pledged to confront an increase in clothing associated with Muslim cultures in French schools, which, he says, is counter to French values of secularism, according to the Arab news.

It said that Pap Ndiaye, the minister of education, described the phenomenon as a “wave” encouraged by online religious influencers.

It mentioned that France banned religious symbols and clothing in schools in a bid to prevent Muslim girls from wearing veils 18 years ago.

However, Ndiaye said influencers, especially on TikTok, were encouraging young girls to flout the ban by turning up to school wearing abayas, incidences of which increased by 40 percent in 2021.

Ndiaye said: “We are going to do what is necessary to limit the harmful influence of these Islamist agitators. The Republic is stronger than TikTok."

Attacks against veiled women in France trigger tensions (Photo: Pixabay)

France is home to a large immigrant community and around 6 million Muslims, many of whom resent the country’s attitude toward religious dress as a product of its foundational secularism.

This week, clashes broke out between pupils and police at a school in a Paris suburb for the second time, after the head teacher banned abayas.

France's far-right leader Le Pen demands more mosque closures

Ministers have also suggested that online Islamists are targeting boys too, encouraging them to wear garments such as thawbs.

Teachers, though, have voiced confusion as to whether or not thawbs and abayas constitute religious dress or whether they should be considered cultural items, leading to questions over whether they should be banned.

Didier Georges, a member of the head teachers’ union, told The Times: “We’d like a clear rule that we don’t have to interpret.”

Source: arabnews

Iran faces new sanctions over ‘suicide drone’ sales to Russia Possible human skeleton found outside Japan theme park

BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”