French ban of abaya robes in schools draws applause, criticism

By Juliette Jabkhiro PARIS (Reuters) -The French government's decision to ban children from wearing the abaya, the loose-fitting, full-length robes worn by some Muslim women, in state-run schools drew applause on Monday from the right, but also criticism. France has enforced a ban on religious symbols in state schools since 2004, to uphold its strict brand of secularism, known as "laicite". The topic is a sensitive one, regularly triggering political tension in the country. "Our schools are continually put under test, and over the past months, breaches to laicite have increased considerably, i...