School kicks Muslim girl out of class because her skirt's too long and provocative

The student, identified as Sarah, already apparently removed her headscarf before entering the school, in accordance with French law. But her long skirt was deemed a "provocation," and potential act of protest.

"The girl was not excluded, she was asked to come back with a neutral outfit," a local official in the northeastern French town of Charleville-Mezieres, near the border with Belgium, told the AFP.

The news sparked an outcry on social media, with commentators remarking on the hypocrisy and bigotry lurking beneath Sarah's treatment. On Twitter, the hashtag #JePorteMaJuppeCommeJeVeux ("I wear my skirt as I like") trended.

The user above quips that Michelle Obama's dress is "unworthy of the Republic."

Critics of France's secularist laws in schools say they often thinly conceal a widespread bias against Muslims and immigrants in French society. Studies have revealed how Muslims face systematic discrimination on the basis of their race, creed and culture.

Speaking to local newspaper L'Ardennais, Sarah said that her skirt was "nothing special, it’s very simple, there’s nothing conspicuous. There is no religious sign whatsoever."

(independent.co.uk)