(Anadolu) An ongoing debate on the controversial draft of a “separatism” bill has sparked criticism, [and] resulted in a diversion, dividing the house on the question of [the] veil, whether to include amendments to ban veiled students at the university and accompanying parents from displaying any religious symbols at school premises.
Several parliamentarians on Tuesday have deemed the move to be counterproductive.
Sacha Houlie, a member of President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist liberal La Republique En Marche party, warned that prohibiting university students and accompanying parents from public services and school trips, and preventing their participation in cultural and sporting activities would “be totally counterproductive in relation to the very objective of this text which fought against the separatists” and “would refer these people to their identity” [and] so “would favor the community withdrawal.”
