Controversial Abaya Ban in French Schools Sparks Outcry and Legal Challenges

French public schools have been turning away students for wearing abayas, a long robe-like garment often worn by Muslim women, as a new national ban on the abaya takes effect. A total of 67 girls were sent home on the first day of classes for refusing to remove their abayas, while a "large majority" complied with the ban. The ban is being challenged by the Action Droits Des Musulmans (ADM) group, which argues that it infringes on fundamental rights. The ban is based on a law passed in 2004 that prohibits the wearing of "conspicuous" religious symbols in schools. Some lawyers have cautioned schools not to penalize students for wearing garments without clear religious affiliation. Teachers at one school have announced a strike in protest of the ban, which they describe as Islamophobic. French President Emmanuel Macron has defended the ban, stating that it is not stigmatizing but targeting those who promote the abaya.