"What is happening is serious," said Latifa Ibn Ziaten, opposing the proposal by the National Rally to ban the hijab. As the president of the "Imad" association, which promotes youth and peace, and the mother of the first victim of the 2012 attack by Mohammed Merah, she spoke on BFMTV on Tuesday, September 8, about the National Rally's plan to ban the "Islamic veil," including the hijab, in public spaces if they gain power. She expressed concern that the proposal represents a danger and questioned why the party was targeting personal and women's freedom. "If it is necessary to choose what to wear to go out, that becomes very serious," she said, adding that she believes the National Rally "does not respect women." She also expressed deep sadness, saying she had lived in France for nearly 53 years and had never expected to see such hate and racism rise in the country. Latifa Ibn Ziaten also voiced her opposition to allowing the abaya in schools, disagreeing with the LFI party, which announced it would seek to reintroduce the garment in schools if they came to power. "No, I am not in favor of allowing the abaya in schools," she said. She also stated she is against the burqa, saying it is entirely normal that one cannot see the face in public. She emphasized that her own choice to wear a veil does not fall under the definition of the Islamic veil, a point she reiterated in response to recent controversy. The National Rally has sought to distinguish between "a cultural or religious doctrine" and "a symbol, the Islamic veil, defined by the Muslim Brotherhood and the Islamic Revolution in Iran," according to Jean-Philippe Tanguy, a deputy from Somme, who made the comment on BFMTV-RMC. He clarified that the veil worn by Latifa Ibn Ziaten does not meet the National Rally’s definition of the Islamic veil. Marine Le Pen had previously announced that she would propose to the French through a referendum a major law against Islamic ideologies, including measures to criminalize the Islamic veil in public spaces. The National Rally claims it is not attacking a religious symbol but rather an "ideology." However, the proposal has faced widespread criticism from both the left and the right, with concerns raised about its impact on religious freedom and its practical enforcement by the police. Critics, including Bruno Retailleau and La France insoumise, argue that the law would be difficult to implement and infringe on personal freedoms.