From classrooms to hospital wards and even freelance jobs: the headscarf ban limits the professional advancement of Muslim women.
Written by: Tassa Adidi, Paris
Are you more protected against Islamophobia in France if you wear a lawyer’s gown, a nurse’s coat, or have the status of a journalist or teacher alongside your veil? According to Slim Ben Achour, a lawyer at the Paris Court of Appeal, the answer is no. „Women with higher education are more visible and therefore more exposed to racism,” he told Middle East Eye.
As an expert in equal opportunities and non-discrimination issues, Ben Achour has defended numerous Muslim women, including fellow lawyers, who have been prevented from working or stigmatized in the workplace because of their headscarves. One of her recent cases involved business lawyer Youssra Marzouq, who was the target of an Islamophobic attack in November 2025 after appearing on a television report wearing a headscarf.
Henda Ayari, a former Salafist turned anti-radicalization activist, wrote on X: „The Islamization of France is underway.” She wrote that she was disturbed by this symbol of oppression that is becoming common in all professions and that she feared the „ideology” that women wearing the hijab „are spreading by imposing their Islamic dress everywhere.” Lawyer Lara Fatimi shared Ayari’s post, calling the inclusion of the headscarved lawyer an „ideological shift” and calling for „unwavering resistance.” Marzouq filed a complaint for public insult and incitement to discrimination.
„"Definition of racism"”
According to lawyer Nicolas Cadene, former senior researcher at the Secularism Observatory, „The fact that a legal professional is being attacked simply for giving an interview wearing a headscarf shows that even professional and institutional integration is not a shield.” He added: „These attacks are not aimed at behavior or words, but at appearance. This is the definition of racism.”
While there is no legal ban on media appearances outside of court, female lawyers must remove their headscarves in courtrooms. This requirement was confirmed by the highest administrative body, the State Council, in March 2025, citing the need to identify lawyers by their uniforms to ensure equality before the law.
As a result, some Muslim lawyers have given up their profession. In the case of Sara, a young French lawyer, the Lille bar changed its internal regulations in 2022 to prohibit the wearing of the headscarf in court. „The prosecutor noted in his conclusions that my appearance at a trial involving victims of terrorism could cause inconvenience. This suggests that by wearing the veil I might be supporting terrorist acts. This is extremely violent,” said the young lawyer.
Codified discriminatory practices
Ben Achour says the crackdown on the veil is an expression of codified discriminatory practices. „French law almost prescribes discrimination,” he says. For example, the civil service prohibits its employees from wearing the veil.
Malika, a primary school teacher who tried to bridge the gap with a small cap, eventually quit her job. „Over the months, our relationship deteriorated. She said some parents were unhappy and were afraid I was indoctrinating the children.”
The situation is similar in hospital settings. In December, the Paris Hospital Association (AP-HP) dismissed employees for wearing surgical caps, which management considered „a religious symbol in accordance with usage.” The Council of Muslim Communities in France (CFCM) said it was „a double standard based on physical appearance or the sound of names.” Nurse Majdouline, who was dismissed, was reinstated in court, but the hospital suspended her for eight months shortly afterwards. Malika noted: „She had the courage to fight. But women in the veil often give up.”
„A distorted interpretation of secularism”
Although the law allows the wearing of religious symbols in the private sector, employers can prohibit it by introducing a „neutrality requirement” in their internal regulations. Ben Achour highlighted that even freelance professions are not fully accessible: since 2024, the committee that issues journalistic credentials has rejected photos in which the applicant is wearing a veil.
A report by the Ombudsman, Defender of Rights, published in December 2025, highlighted the „overrepresentation” of Muslim women wearing headscarves in discrimination complaints. Muslims – or those perceived to be Muslims – are three times more likely to report discrimination when looking for work.
Nicolas Cadene says the political debate over the veil in France is particularly damaging. „In no other major European country are there recurring proposals for a ban on the veil in public or in universities from major political forces.”
As next year’s presidential election approaches, right-wing politicians, including Bruno Retailleau, are calling the Muslim veil „the flag of radical Islam” and are considering extending the ban to universities and sporting events. The far-right National Rally (RN) is taking the same stance, often with theatrical means: last week, Kevin Nader, a municipal representative for the RN, displayed a crucifix at a meeting to protest the presence of an official wearing a headscarf.
