French Senate Votes to Ban Religious Symbols on School Trips, Targeting Veiled Muslim Women

Voted by 186 votes against 100 and 159 abstentions, the amendment defended by the Les Républicains group was aimed at "filling a legal void concerning the application of the principle of secularism during school outings", by qualifying the accompanying parents as "occasional public service collaborators".

"People who participate in school activities must demonstrate neutrality in the expression of their convictions, particularly religious," rejoiced the political party, which specifically pointed to the wearing of the veil by Muslim women.

However, the law is not definitively adopted as it must go back before the National Assembly and the government has been more than reserved about its "legal ban", recalling that it would contravene an opinion of the Council of State.