A long-awaited report on church-state relations in France advised the government today to forbid school pupils to wear Muslim veils, Jewish skullcaps or large Christian crosses.
The report presented to President Jacques Chirac said wearing such "conspicuous signs of religion" was contrary to the strict secularism French law requires for state establishments".
It also suggested that a Jewish and a Muslim holy day - Yom Kippur and Eid al-Kebir - be made official holidays such as Christmas and that companies allow workers to take off the religious holiday of their choice, commission secretary Mr Remy Schwartz told journalists.