The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has strongly criticized France’s prohibition on the traditional attire known as abayas, often worn by Muslim women, characterizing it as a “flawed attempt to enforce the principle of laicite,” a core French value.An advisory panel of the United States government, USCIRF, has raised its voice against France’s ban on schoolgirls donning abayas, deeming this restriction on the flowing, long garments as a move designed to “intimidate” the Muslim minority.While USCIRF provides recommendations to the US government, it does not possess the authority to formulate policies. Abraham Cooper, the chair of the commission, expressed his disapproval of the abaya ban on Friday, labeling it as a “misguided endeavor to uphold the French principle of laicite,” France’s official secularism, as reported by AFP.