French law formally banned all conspicuous religious symbols but targeted Muslim headscarves in practice.

Evidence

The French hijab ban (2004) refers to a law passed by the French Parliament in 2004 that banned “conspicuous signs” of religious affiliation in public schools. The ban included not only Muslim hijabs and headscarves but also large crosses, skullcaps, and symbols from other religious traditions and communities. Nevertheless, the context of the ban was an ongoing debate over clothing worn by Muslim schoolgirls dating to the late 1980s. — Green, Todd H, The Fear of Islam_ An Introduction to…, 611

Categorization

• DEFINE: Defines what the 2004 French hijab ban legally did, including its nominal religious neutrality.
• XREF: connects to: France’s 2003 hijab ban launched Europe’s wave of anti-Muslim dress laws — Arsalan Iftikhar, Fear of a Muslim Planet_ Global…, 376; France banned hijab-wearing mothers from school trips in 2019; The European Court of Justice allowed religious-symbol bans only if applied generally — Arsalan Iftikhar, Fear of a Muslim Planet_ Global…, 458 (+6 more)

Broader Connections

• France’s 2003 hijab ban launched Europe’s wave of anti-Muslim dress laws #expands (0.70) — Arsalan Iftikhar, Fear of a Muslim Planet_ Global…, 376
• France’s laïcité secularism now targets Muslim identity almost exclusively #corroborates (0.70) — Arsalan Iftikhar, Fear of a Muslim Planet_ Global…, 496
• France banned hijab-wearing mothers from school trips in 2019 #exemplifies (0.60)
• France’s hijab laws seeded copycat bans in Quebec, Belgium, and other European nations. #expands (0.60)
• France’s Hijab Ban inaugurated gendered Islamophobia that polices Muslim women’s bodies #expands (0.60)
• France’s 2004 hijab ban spawned copycat laws in Belgium, Quebec, and Denmark #expands (0.60) — Khaled A. Beydoun, The New Crusades_ Islamophobia and the…, 719
• The European Court of Justice allowed religious-symbol bans only if applied generally #qualifies (0.50) — Arsalan Iftikhar, Fear of a Muslim Planet_ Global…, 458
• The Hijab Ban solidified the idea that Muslim and French are clashing identities #expands (0.50)
• France criminalized the niqab and burqa in April 2011 #expands (0.40)