# French religious attire and secularism debates > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/french-religious-attire-and-secularism-debates > Updated: 2026-09-10T10:30:04.000Z. Sources: 4. Developments: 2. Debates regarding religious attire and secularism in French educational institutions have intensified. The political party La France insoumise (LFI) has proposed repealing the ban on the abaya and qamis in schools, with Mathilde Panot, president of the LFI parliamentary group, labeling the current ban ‘absurd’ and claiming it leads to ‘arbitrary stigmatization and racial profiling of Muslim students.’ This proposal has faced opposition from Marine Le Pen, who characterized LFI as ‘subcontractors of Islamist ideology,’ and former Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, who defended the measure’s success. This tension follows a broader historical and legislative trajectory concerning religious symbols in France. While the 2004 law prohibited conspicuous religious symbols in public schools and a 2010 law banned face coverings in public spaces, political pressure is now mounting to extend these restrictions to universities. Conservative and far-right factions are advocating for broader prohibitions in higher education, a move that academics and human rights activists warn may infringe upon individual freedoms. ## Timeline ### 2026-09-10: France hijab debate resurfaces amid calls for university bans France faces renewed debate over hijab bans as political calls grow to extend restrictions from public schools to universities, following decades of legislative shifts regarding religious symbols. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/france-hijab-debate-resurfaces-amid-calls-for-university-bans ### 2026-09-07: La France insoumise proposes repealing school abaya ban La France insoumise plans to lift the ban on abayas and qamis in French schools if elected in 2027, sparking intense criticism from Marine Le Pen and Gabriel Attal regarding secularism and identity. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/la-france-insoumise-proposes-repealing-school-abaya-ban --- Cite as: French religious attire and secularism debates. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/french-religious-attire-and-secularism-debates