The French Parliament’s lower house passed a bill banning the wearing of conspicuous religious insignia in state schools. Tuesday’s vote in the National Assembly passed by 494-36. If ratified by the Senate early next month, the wearing of large crosses, Muslim veils and yarmulkes will be banned beginning with the next academic year. The vote was welcomed by Jewish groups in France, which traditionally have been strong supporters of France’s historic separation of church and state.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.