The first comprehensive analysis of the philosophical issues raised by the hijab controversy in France, this book also conducts a dialogue between contemporary Anglo-American and French political theory and defends a progressive republican solution to so-called multicultural conflicts in contemporary societies. It critically assesses the official republican philosophy of la--iuml--;cit--eacute--; which purported to justify the 2004 ban on religious signs in schools.La--iuml--;cit--eacute--; is shown to encompass a comprehensive theory of republican citizenship, centered on three ideals: equali