French president says Muslim hijab ‘not my business’

• The President commented over the row over hijab that has erupted in the French government in recent weeks.
• Macron says hijab is used in certain circumstances by some as an instrument of separatism in the Republic of France.
• When we are educating our children, we ask that there are no ostentatious signs of religion, says Macron.

(Karachi) President Emmanuel Macron has said that it is “not his business” whether Muslim women wear a hijab in public spaces - but that it “is his business” when it comes to public services, French media reported on Friday.

The President commented over the row over the hijab that has erupted in the French government in recent weeks, and sought to clarify his position when asked.

Speaking at the Choose La Réunion summit in the French island department, he said, "Whether someone wears a hijab in a public space is not my business. But wearing a hijab in public services, in schools, when we are educating our children, is my business."

"In public services, we have a duty of neutrality. When we are educating our children, we ask that there are no ostentatious signs of religion. Apart from that, what happens in the public space, is not the business of the State or of the President of the Republic."

He continued, “The hijab is used in certain circumstances, certain neighbourhoods, by some, as an instrument of separatism in the Republic of France.There are today, some women and men who say, ‘Because of my religion I no longer adhere to the values of the Republic', and that is a problem for me. I have a problem with demands that become political.”

But Macron clarified, “I ask all of our citizens to respect all of the laws of the Republic, but I have nothing to say about their spiritual lives. That is secularism. We should not confuse the issues.”

Macron was responding to calls from Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right Rassemblement National party, to ban the hijab and other ostentatious religious symbols “in all public spaces”.

His comments were also seen as a response to minister for Education, Jean Michel Blanquer, who recently said that the hijab “was not appropriate in our society”, as it went “against the value of equality between men and women”.

Recent debates have centered on whether it is acceptable for women to wear the veil - especially the niqab, which covers the entirety of a woman’s face apart from her eyes - when coming to drop off or collect their children from school.