Pakistan Condemns France’s Abaya Ban as Islamophobic

The Pakistan Foreign Office has labeled France’s ban on abayas as Islamophobic. According to the Foreign Office, this prohibition constitutes a violation of freedom, human rights, religious expression, and freedom of speech for Muslim girls and women. Pakistan urges French authorities to reconsider this decision. Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, in a statement, expressed deep concern over the ban, emphasizing its impact on women and girls’ rights to assert their identity and participate effectively in public life. The Pakistani Foreign Office spokesperson has called on France to rethink the ban on abayas, which, unlike headscarves, are long, open garments aligned with Islamic beliefs.