Faith, Freedom, and France: Religion in a Secular State 

France has a significant history of grappling with the role of religion in public life. Catholicism has dominated the French for centuries. Religion once had a powerful influence on how France was governed and educated. In the years after the French Revolution, calls to keep religion and government separate gained momentum, ending with the passing of the laïcité law in 1905.

 A woman holds a placard reading "Freedom leads all the people" as protesters demonstrate against a bill dubbed as "anti-separatism", in Paris on February 14, 2021 [Geoffroy Van Der Hasselt/AFP]

 

Today, France is religiously diverse. It is home to many religions groups including Catholics, Muslims, Jews, Protestants, and secular individuals. This diversity has broadened debates about the limits of religious expression in public life, particularly when it comes to schools or government spaces. 

A woman holds a placard reading 'my veil is my freedom' as she takes part in a demonstration in Paris to protest against Islamophobia, 10 November 2019 (AFP)

France’s ongoing debates over laïcité reflect a continuing effort to balance individual freedoms with a unified civic identity. As the population becomes more religiously diverse, questions about how to apply secular principles fairly have become increasingly complex. These discussions highlight the tension between preserving national values and ensuring that all citizens feel respected and included. Ultimately, France’s approach to secularism will continue to evolve as its society and cultural landscape change. 

 

Forbidding Pupils To Wear The Abaya In Public Schools Throughout The National Territory. Photo: Eric Tschaen /EFE
French Laïcité vs. American Secularism | ZENIT - English

                                        History and Context 

One of the most visible religious controversies in France today concerns the wearing of visible religious symbols in public schools. France’s strong stance on secularism, known as laïcité, has deep historical roots dating back to the French Revolution and was formally established with the 1905 law separating church and state. In 2004, this principle was extended to education when France banned conspicuous religious symbols, including the hijab, in public schools. The law fueled heated debates about religious freedom and identity. Supporters have argued that it protects secularism and promotes gender equality, while critics claim it disproportionately targets Muslim individuals, limiting their personal freedoms. Understanding France’s long standing commitment to laïcité helps explain why the nation continues to prioritize religious neutrality in public institutions, even when it conflicts with individual rights and expressions of faith.

The Controversy 

Modern day controversies surrounding laicite revolve around its interpretation of religious symbols and apparel regarding France’s growing Muslim minority. What was initially created as a tool to uphold the separation of church and state and protect religious freedoms, is instead seen by many as a weapon towards islamophobia. 

Illustrative: Boys study in a Jewish school in Sarcelles, France, on October 03, 2010. (Serge Attal/FLASH90)

Religious symbols in Schools 

2004: ‘law on secularism’ banned anything that could be deemed as a ‘conspicuous’ religious symbol, including Islamic headscarves, Jewish yarmulkes, and large Christian crosses.  

  • This law applies to any publicly run primary or secondary schools, and France officials say the aim was to reduce religious pressures in children attending school.  
  • 2023: the law was extended to ban the abaya (a loose-fitting robe worn by some Muslim women) and qamis (a very similar garment worm by men). This extension is what has led to many concerns about the nature of said law, and which religious groups it may be targeting.  

A Muslim woman wearing an abaya, pictured in Nantes, France, on August 29 Stephane Mahe/Reuters

Public Dress Codes 

2010: law number ‘2010-1192’ is passed effectively banning full-face coverings in public settings for any reason barring medical necessity, sports, or artistic/traditional events.  

  • The purpose of said law was to liberate women being forced by their religion to alter their bodily expression, and any persons not in compliance with said law would therefore be obligated to pay a fine or complete citizenship training. 
  • Other opinion: Thomas Hammarberg, the Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights made his stance on the matter apparent, stating “a general ban on such attire would constitute an ill-advised invasion of individual privacy”, and believes such legislation would not be compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights.  
  • The law has also been extended to include a ban on the wearing of the Burkina (a full-body swimsuit) at all public pools and beaches under the state.  

Paris based Les Hijabeuses are a group of young hijab-wearing female footballers tackling exclusion of Muslim women from sports. Nada Bashir/CNN

Religious Coverings in Sports 

While there are no public, universally accepted bans on head coverings of any sort within sports in France, certain corporations have chosen to implement the 2004 ban of religious symbol. Additionally, Right-wing party Les Republicans are looking to implement the ban publicly.  

  • The France Football Federation (FFF) bans the wearing of such symbols including the Hijab (a headdress worn by Muslim women) in all sports performed under its federation.  
  • Additionally, the Paris Olympics (2024) placed a ban banning all participating French athletes from wearing the hijab (international athletes were permitted).  

A protester wears the French flag during a rally against Islamophobia, Paris, 11 May (Geoffroy Van Der Hasselt/AFP)

Islamist “Entryism” as a perceived Threat 

  • Behind many of the changes and bans towards religious apparel in France, is a perceived threat by France officials towards what is called ‘entryism’, or the involvement in republican infrastructure with the intent to change it. Different from separatism which would aim to create a part of France specifically for Muslims, many political leaders in France believe that Islamic activist groups such as the Federation of Muslims of France, are trying to integrate Sharia law and core Islamic values into France as a whole, and they believe that by placing such bans, they will be able to reject such values. Bruno Retailleau, elected leader of conservative party Les Republicians, warned of “below-the-radar Islamism trying to infiltrate institutions, whose ultimate aim is to tip the whole of French society under sharia law", Whilst members of the FMF reply that “Confusing Islam with political Islamism and radicality is not only dangerous, but counter-productive for the Republic itself”.  

Understanding Through Religion 

Laicite, or French secularism, is about more than just clothing choices, it is about a long-standing history between France’s government and the Catholic Church. Introduced as a series of laws built to help French citizens maintain political and religious freedoms as well as their own sense of identity, many feel that religious symbols shown outside of the home threatens national unity and the identity of France as a whole.  

On the other hand, today France stands as a multicultural society, with Islam being an ever-growing religion. When citizens are no longer able to adhere to religious practices by expressing their identity via apparel, many see it as an attack upon the very freedoms that France strives to protect. While the state views this religious wear, including that of the hijab and burkini, as a breaking of religious neutrality, many would argue that these bans are against the rights and freedoms of citizens, and feel the laws disproportionately target Muslim people.  

These ongoing debates prove that for many Muslim people, the issue at hand is belonging. These clothing bans provide a message that Muslim people are welcome in France, but their culture and religious values are not. Instead of widening the range of choices their citizens can make, many believe that France is actively oppressing them, especially their women.

A Muslim woman demonstrates against the

French proposal to bar Muslim women from

wearing headscarves in state schools, in Paris 

 Jan. 17, 2004. Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images