PARIS – President Chirac of France dispatched his foreign minister to the Middle East yesterday to work for the release of two French reporters abducted in Iraq, vowing to spare no effort to free them from kidnappers demanding that France scrap its ban on Islamic head scarves in state schools.

Mr. Chirac appealed to the kidnappers with an implicit reminder that France opposed the American-led invasion of Iraq. But he did not directly respond to their reported demand that the ban on head scarves and other religious apparel be overturned within 48 hours.

“France ensures equality, the respect and protection of the free practicing of all religions,” a solemn-looking Chirac said in a televised address. “These values of respect and tolerance inspire our actions everywhere in the world…They also inspired France’s policy in Iraq.”

The kidnapping proved false the notion that France’s opposition to the Iraq war and its generally pro-Arab policies may to some extent have inoculated it from Islamic terrorism.

The terrorists claiming to hold Christian Chesnot and Georges Malbrunot described the head scarf law as “an aggression on the Islamic religion and personal freedoms,” according to the Arab TV station Al Jazeera.

The station showed a brief tape on Saturday of the journalists saying they were in captivity – the first word on their fate since they disappeared more than a week ago. Mr. Chesnot works for Radio France-Internationale and Radio France and Mr. Malbrunot for RTL radio and the dailies Le Figaro and Ouest-France.

Mr. Chirac said Foreign Minister Michel Barnier was rushing to the Middle East “to develop the necessary contacts there and coordinate our representatives’ efforts” to win the reporters’ release.

“Everything is being done and everything will be done in the hours and days to come,” said Mr. Chirac. He said France has no fresh information about the reporters.

Prime Minister Raffarin indicated that France is using its contacts in the Arab world to seek the men’s release. He met ministers and Mr. Chirac yesterday to coordinate the government’s response.

The head scarf law, which will take effect when school resumes this week following the summer break, forbids public school students from wearing “conspicuous” signs showing their religious affiliation. While that includes Jewish skullcaps and large Christian crosses, French authorities made clear that the measure was aimed at removing Islamic head scarves from classrooms.

The law was adopted in March with overwhelming support from lawmakers from across the political spectrum. But it sparked protests by Muslims in France and abroad, with many saying Islam was being unfairly targeted.

But French Muslim leaders who opposed the law were strong in their condemnation of the kidnapping and urged the government yesterday not to capitulate. Some also expressed fears, however, of a backlash for the 5 million-strong Muslim community, western Europe’s biggest.

Meanwhile, American military officials and representatives of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr held talks yesterday aimed at reducing violence in the restive Baghdad slum of Sadr City, a day after clashes there killed 10 people, officials said.