Macron party backs banning hijab in public spaces for under 15s

PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron’s political party wants to ban minors under 15 from wearing the Muslim headscarf in public, with the government set to review a report Wednesday on the spread of “political Islamism” in France.

Macron will meet with senior officials today to discuss a report that describes the Muslim Brotherhood as a “threat to national cohesion” in France, warning it risks undermining “the fabric of society and republican institutions”.

The ban proposed by the Renaissance party would forbid “minors under 15 from wearing the veil in public spaces,” phrasing that in France generally means places outside the home like the street, cafes, parks and stores.

It added the hijab “seriously undermines gender equality and the protection of children”.

The party, led by former prime minister Gabriel Attal, also wants to introduce a “criminal offence for coercion against parents who force their underage daughters to wear the veil”.

Renaissance is a minority force in the French parliament and works in a minority government alongside a traditional right-wing party.

Critics see the headscarf worn by some Muslim women as a symbol of creeping Islamisation after deadly jihadist attacks in France, while others say they are just practising their religion and should wear what they want.

Jordan Bardella, leader of France’s far-right National Rally (RN), accused Attal of making a “U-turn” on the issue, sharing a video on his social media from a 2022 debate in which the former prime minister warned against the potential persecution of veiled women under a Marine Le Pen presidency.

Le Pen had during her unsuccessful 2022 presidential campaign evoked banning the wearing of the hijab by everyone in all public spaces in France.

Under current French legislation, civil servants, teachers and pupils cannot wear any obvious religious symbols such as a Christian cross, Jewish kippa, Sikh turban or Muslim hijab in government buildings, which includes public schools.

The government is also pushing for a new law to ban the headscarf in domestic sports competitions, a move critics of the law argue would be just the latest rule discriminating against visibly Muslim women.

France and Germany have the biggest Muslim populations among European Union countries.