jordan pulse -

French Minister of Education, Gabriel Atal, announced that he would "ban the wearing of the abaya in schools" in France, stressing his endeavor to set "clear rules at the national level" for school principals, according to AFP.

When the minister was asked about the issue that has been controversial for months due to incidents related to wearing this dress, Atal revealed, in a statement to TF1, that he is seeking, "starting next week", to meet with school officials to help them implement this ban.

"When you walk into a classroom, you shouldn't be able to tell the students' religion just by looking at them," he said.

In 2004, it banned the headscarf in schools, and issued a ban on the veil in public places in 2010, angering many in the Muslim community of nearly five million, according to Reuters.

The defense of secularism is one that resonates greatly across the political spectrum in France, from leftists who support liberal values, to hard rightists who seek to stand against the rise of Islamic ideas.