France’s PM stands with teachers who told muslim woman to take off hijab
by rubab
French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal defended the principles of French secularism on Wednesday following the resignation of a school principal in Paris who faced death threats after requesting a student to remove her Muslim veil on school grounds.
Attal, a former education minister, announced that the state would be lodging a complaint against the student for falsely accusing the principal of mistreatment during the incident in late February.
During an interview on the TF1 television channel’s evening news, Attal affirmed the state’s support for officials confronted with challenges to secularism and attempts at Islamist influence within educational institutions.
Secularism and religion remain contentious topics in France, which boasts Europe’s largest Muslim community. In 2004, the government banned students from wearing religious symbols such as headscarves, turbans, or kippas in schools, in line with secular laws aimed at upholding neutrality in state institutions. Last year, the government extended the ban to include the abaya, a garment worn by Muslim women.
The departure of the school principal comes amidst heightened tensions in the country following various incidents, including the killing of a teacher by a former Islamist pupil last year.
The principal of the Maurice-Ravel lycee in eastern Paris resigned after receiving death threats online following a confrontation with a student last month. The incident occurred when the principal asked three students to remove their Islamic headscarves on school premises, leading to an altercation with one of them. The principal subsequently received online death threats.
In a message to the school staff, the principal cited concerns for his safety and that of the school as reasons for his decision to resign. Education officials confirmed that he opted for early retirement.
Despite the student’s complaint alleging mistreatment, the Paris prosecutor’s office dismissed it. An investigation into cyber-harassment related to the death threats against the principal is ongoing.
Politicians from various parties expressed shock at the resignation, with some denouncing it as a collective failure or a defeat of the state against Islamist influence.
Amidst this, Education Minister Nicole Belloubet condemned the attacks against the principal as unacceptable, with the education ministry expressing understanding for his decision to step down. Security measures, including increased surveillance near schools, have been pledged by Prime Minister Attal following recent threats, including bomb threats, received by dozens of schools in Paris.
