French MPs Condemn National Assembly President's Remarks on Hijab-Wearing Visitors
French lawmakers have criticized National Assembly President Yael Braun-Pivet for her comments opposing young visitors wearing headscarves inside the parliament.
“At the very heart of the hemicycle of the National Assembly, where the 2004 law on secularism in schools was in particular voted on, it seems unacceptable to me that young children can wear ostentatious religious signs in the galleries,”
Braun-Pivet wrote on X on Thursday.
The statement followed a photo shared by Frontieres Media's editorial director David Alaime, showing several young girls wearing headscarves at the National Assembly.
“FIVE VEILED WOMEN, some of whom appear to be VERY YOUNG, are PRESENT in the hemicycle at the National Assembly as visitors,”
Alaime said.
Braun-Pivet emphasized her call for everyone to exercise “extreme vigilance so that this does not happen again.”
Reactions from Left-Wing MPs
Aymeric Caron, MP from the far-left France Unbowed (LFI), described Braun-Pivet's comment as Islamophobic and accused her of bringing shame upon herself by imposing an imaginary rule that disrespects citizens' rights.
“Tonight, the President of the National Assembly validates the racist publication of a far-right 'media' outlet that engages every day in hunting Muslims,”
said Thomas Portes of LFI.
Antoine Leaument, also from LFI, pointed out that no law bans wearing the veil inside the assembly.
Context
- The 2004 French law limits ostentatious religious symbols in public schools but does not explicitly apply to the National Assembly.
- The issue sparked a debate over secularism and religious freedom within French public institutions.
Yael Braun-Pivet’s remarks triggered a criticism wave highlighting concerns about Islamophobia and the rights of Muslim citizens in France.
“It seems unacceptable that young children can wear ostentatious religious signs in the galleries,”
reflecting the view that flags a tension between secularism and religious expression.
Author's summary: The controversy over headscarves in France’s National Assembly highlights ongoing challenges balancing secularism and religious freedoms, amid accusations of Islamophobia.