French Secularism

France's top administrative court on Thursday upheld a ban on women football players wearing Islamic hijab headscarves, after the issue was seized on by politicians claiming secularism was at risk.

France's lower house of parliament on Tuesday voted in favour of a law to battle "Islamist separatism" that is billed by the government as a riposte to religious groups attempting to undermine the secular state.

President Francois Hollande said that Islam could co-exist with secularism, warning in a key speech seen as preparing the ground for a re-election bid that the anti-terror fight should not undermine French values.

France's interior minister convened Muslim leaders today to discuss a French-style Islam that honours the nation's secular values, a task given new urgency after deep divisions surfaced over burkini bans in 30 French beach towns and after terror attacks that also stigmatized Muslims.

Burkinis banned on dozens of beaches, no veils in schools, no niqabs in the neighbourhood: in staunchly secular France, the law imposes an array of restrictions on anything denoting religious affiliation.

President Francois Hollande says France's millions of Muslims should be protected and respected and in turn they should also respect the nation's strict secular policies.

A pink and orange all-women's gym has become an unlikely focus of a very French row over Muslim integration, secularism and what some view as blatant populism in the run-up to France's municipal elections.

France's top administrative court on Thursday upheld a ban on women football players wearing Islamic hijab headscarves, after the issue was seized on by politicians claiming secularism was at risk.

France's lower house of parliament on Tuesday voted in favour of a law to battle "Islamist separatism" that is billed by the government as a riposte to religious groups attempting to undermine the secular state.

President Francois Hollande said that Islam could co-exist with secularism, warning in a key speech seen as preparing the ground for a re-election bid that the anti-terror fight should not undermine French values.

France's interior minister convened Muslim leaders today to discuss a French-style Islam that honours the nation's secular values, a task given new urgency after deep divisions surfaced over burkini bans in 30 French beach towns and after terror attacks that also stigmatized Muslims.

Burkinis banned on dozens of beaches, no veils in schools, no niqabs in the neighbourhood: in staunchly secular France, the law imposes an array of restrictions on anything denoting religious affiliation.

President Francois Hollande says France's millions of Muslims should be protected and respected and in turn they should also respect the nation's strict secular policies.

A pink and orange all-women's gym has become an unlikely focus of a very French row over Muslim integration, secularism and what some view as blatant populism in the run-up to France's municipal elections.