Macron made the comments during a visit to a high school in the town of Orange, southern France, on Friday.

He said that schools in France are secular and that religious signs, whatever they are, do not have a place in schools.

Education Minister Gabriel Attal has announced that students wearing the traditional overgarments will not be able to attend classes as of Monday, when the school year starts. He said that students will be welcomed to the school and that there will be a discussion to explain the rule to them.

The French government has been criticized for targeting Muslims with statements and policies in recent years, including raids on mosques and charitable foundations, and an “anti-separatism” law that slaps wide-ranging restrictions on the community.

The ban on abaya and qamis overgarments is the latest in a series of measures by the French government to restrict the expression of religious identity in public.

In 2019, the government banned the wearing of face coverings, including niqabs and burqas, in public places.

The ban on abaya and qamis overgarments has been met with criticism from some Muslim groups, who say that it is discriminatory and violates their religious freedom. (ILKHA)