On May 22, 2025, France’s government, led by Prime Minister Gabriel Attal and President Emmanuel Macron’s Renaissance party, proposed a controversial new measure: banning girls under the age of 15 from wearing Muslim headscarves in all public spaces. The proposal, which has ignited fierce criticism both domestically and internationally, comes on the heels of a confidential government report highlighting the Muslim Brotherhood’s growing influence as a threat to national cohesion. While the French government frames the ban as a necessary step to protect children and uphold secular values, opponents argue it’s a discriminatory move that disproportionately targets Muslim girls and fuels Islamophobia. Here’s a deeper look at the motivations behind this proposal, its historical context, and the heated debate it has sparked.
A New Chapter in France’s Secularism Saga
France has long championed its principle of laïcité, a strict form of secularism embedded in the constitution to ensure the separation of religion and state. This principle has been the foundation for several laws restricting religious symbols in public spaces. Since 2004, France has banned overt religious symbols—like Muslim headscarves, Christian crosses, Jewish kippahs, and Sikh turbans—in public schools and for civil servants on duty. More recently, in 2023, the government extended this ban to include the abaya, a loose-fitting robe worn by Muslim women, in schools. The proposed headscarf ban for girls under 15 marks a significant escalation, extending restrictions beyond schools and government buildings into all public spaces.
Gabriel Attal, the former prime minister and current head of Renaissance, has been a vocal proponent of the ban. In an interview with Le Parisien, he stated, “I want a ban on minors under 15 wearing the veil in public spaces,” arguing that the headscarf “seriously undermines gender equality and the protection of children.” Attal also proposed a new criminal offense for parents who “coerce” girls under 18 to wear the headscarf, framing the measure as a safeguard for young girls against familial or cultural pressure. The government’s confidential report, discussed in a high-level meeting chaired by Macron, further justifies the ban by claiming the Muslim Brotherhood—a movement founded in Egypt over 90 years ago—poses a “threat to national cohesion” by promoting “political Islamism” that undermines French republican values.
A History of Targeting Muslim Symbols
This isn’t France’s first foray into regulating Muslim attire. The 2004 ban on religious symbols in schools disproportionately affected Muslim girls, as the headscarf became a focal point of enforcement. In 2010, France banned face coverings like the niqab in all public spaces, and in 2023, the abaya ban in schools sparked protests from Muslim communities. Earlier this year, the French Senate backed a bill to ban headscarves in sports competitions, a move criticized by Amnesty International as discriminatory and patriarchal. During the 2024 Paris Olympics, France barred its own athletes from wearing headscarves, citing their status as public servants—a decision that drew international condemnation from human rights groups and the United Nations for violating Muslim women’s rights to cultural and religious expression.
The pattern is clear: France’s interpretation of laïcité has increasingly been used to target Muslim women and girls, often under the guise of protecting secularism or gender equality. Critics argue that this selective enforcement—rarely applied with the same vigor to Christian or Jewish symbols—reveals a deeper bias. As one Muslim activist in Paris told The Guardian, “Laïcité is supposed to protect everyone’s religious freedom, but it’s being weaponized to exclude us from public life.”
The Political Context: Appeasing the Far Right?
The timing of the proposed ban is no coincidence. With European elections looming next month, Macron’s Renaissance party is under pressure to address growing concerns about national identity and immigration—issues long championed by the far-right National Rally, led by Marine Le Pen. During her 2022 presidential campaign, Le Pen proposed a total ban on headscarves in public spaces for all women, a policy that failed but resonated with a significant portion of the electorate. Some opposition politicians have accused Macron’s party of political posturing, suggesting the under-15 headscarf ban is an attempt to appeal to far-right voters while avoiding a broader, more controversial ban that might alienate centrists.
This isn’t a new critique. For years, observers have noted that France’s secular policies often seem to disproportionately target Muslims, feeding into a broader narrative of Islamophobia. Posts on X reflect a similar sentiment, with users calling the proposal a “civil war on Muslims” and questioning why similar restrictions aren’t placed on Christian practices like baptism for young children. The government’s focus on “political Islamism” also raises questions: if the concern is truly about protecting children from coercion, why single out the headscarf rather than addressing broader issues of parental influence across all religious communities?
The Pushback: A Violation of Rights
Muslim groups, civil rights activists, and international organizations have condemned the proposal as discriminatory and a violation of fundamental rights. Amnesty International, which has long criticized France’s treatment of Muslim women, stated that the ban “targets and disproportionately impacts the rights of Muslim women and girls,” excluding them from public life. Haïfa Tlili, a sociologist and co-founder of Basket Pour Toutes, told Amnesty that such rules are “neither necessary, appropriate, nor proportionate” for public service, arguing that they are based on stereotypes rather than evidence.
The United Nations has also weighed in. In October 2024, independent UN experts criticized France’s hijab bans in sports, calling them “disproportionate and discriminatory” and urging the government to protect Muslim women’s rights to participate in cultural and sporting life. They warned that framing the headscarf as a security threat or a symbol of oppression perpetuates harmful stereotypes, further stigmatizing an already marginalized community.
Domestically, Muslim communities in France feel increasingly under siege. A young Muslim woman in Paris, speaking anonymously to Hyphen, said, “They’re telling us we don’t belong here. First, they ban us from schools, then sports, and now the streets? What’s next?” The proposal has also drawn criticism from opposition politicians, who accuse the government of scapegoating Muslims to distract from other pressing issues like economic instability and social inequality.
A Step Too Far?
The proposed headscarf ban for girls under 15 is still under discussion, with a government meeting set for May 26, 2025, to finalize its details. But its implications are already reverberating. For many, this measure represents a dangerous escalation in France’s ongoing struggle to balance secularism with religious freedom. While the government claims it’s protecting children and preserving national values, the reality may be far more complex—and far more divisive.
If passed, the ban could set a precedent for even broader restrictions on religious expression, further alienating France’s Muslim population, which numbers over 5 million. It risks deepening social divides at a time when unity is sorely needed. For the girls at the heart of this debate—those under 15 who may simply want to express their faith or cultural identity—the message is clear: in France, their right to do so may come at a steep cost.
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