French schools send home dozens of girls wearing Muslim abayas

Girls who refused to remove banned garment given letter saying secularism is not a constraint, it is a liberty', says minister

On the first day of the new academic year French schools sent home dozens of girls for refusing to remove their abayas, the education minister said on Tuesday.

Defying a ban on the Muslim garment, nearly 300 girls showed up on Monday morning wearing an abaya, Gabriel Attal told the BFM broadcaster. Most agreed to change, but 67 refused and were sent home, he said.