Paris: French lawmakers on Thursday criticized National Assembly President Yael Braun-Pivet's remarks in which she objected to young visitors wearing headscarves inside the parliament. "At the very heart of the hemicycle of the National Assembly, where the 2004 law on secularism in schools was in particular voted on, it seems unacceptable to me that young children can wear ostentatious religious signs in the galleries," Braun-Pivet wrote on the US social media platform X.

According to Anadolu Agency, Braun-Pivet's statement followed a post by the editorial director of Frontieres Media, David Alaime, who shared a photo depicting several young girls wearing headscarves at the National Assembly. Alaime noted, "FIVE VEILED WOMEN, some of whom appear to be VERY YOUNG, are PRESENT in the hemicycle at the National Assembly as visitors."

Braun-Pivet emphasized the need for "extreme vigilance" to ensure such incidents do not recur. However, her comments were met with strong criticism from various lawmakers. Aymeric Caron, a member of the far-left France Unbowed (LFI), labeled Braun-Pivet's statement as "Islamophobic," arguing that she disrespects citizens' rights by introducing an imaginary rule.

Thomas Portes, also from the LFI, accused Braun-Pivet of endorsing a racist narrative perpetuated by a far-right media outlet that frequently targets Muslims. Antoine Leaument, another LFI member, highlighted that no law forbids wearing the veil in the assembly, stating, "In the temple of the French Republic, we do not spread Islamophobia: we uphold public and individual freedoms. Shame on you."