France will ban schoolchildren from wearing abayas ahead of the upcoming academic ... bans and restrictions on items of customarily Islamic dress in recent years, which have frequently drawn ...

Muslim leaders have reacted with anger to a sudden move by the French government to ban the abaya in state schools. The loose-fitting long robe is considered too closely linked with Islam by ...

The abaya, however — a long dress that covers the legs and arms, but not the hands, feet or head — falls into a gray area. While it is popular in the Gulf and in some Arab countries ...

The move comes after months of debate over the wearing of abayas in French schools, where women have long been banned from wearing the Islamic headscarf. The right and far-right had pushed for the ...

The move comes after months of debate over the wearing of abayas in French schools, where girls have long been banned from wearing the Islamic headscarf. The right and far right had pushed for the ...

Unlike headscarves, the abaya - a garment worn to comply with Islamic beliefs on modest dress - occupied a grey area until last November. The education ministry issued a circular at the time ...