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🇵🇱 Poland /Culture & Society

Austria Bans Hijabs in Schools for Girls Under 14

From Rzeczpospolita · () Polish

Translated from Polish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Approved/passed
  • Austria’s governing coalition has adopted a ban on hijabs and other Muslim head coverings for girls under 14 in public and private schools.
  • The government describes the law as a measure supporting gender equality and protecting girls’ rights, while Austria’s Islamic Religious Community calls it disproportionate.
  • Parents or legal representatives could face fines of up to 800 euros after repeated violations, and the community plans to support constitutional complaints.

Austria has banned Muslim head coverings for girls under 14 in schools across the country. The measure covers both public and private institutions, and fines of up to 800 euros can follow repeated violations.

The headscarf is a sign of oppression and a means of controlling girls from early childhood.

· Claudia BauerAustria’s integration minister defended the school headscarf ban.

The coalition led by the conservative Austrian People’s Party, which also includes the Social Democratic Party and the liberal party, presents the law as confirmation of its commitment to gender equality and as a way to protect girls’ rights. Integration Minister Claudia Bauer said the headscarf represents oppression and the control of girls from early childhood.

Teachers are expected to respond gradually when they identify a violation. They must first hold a series of discussions with the pupil and her legal representatives. Repeated violations should then be reported to child-protection services. A fine for the legal representatives is intended as the final measure.

The restriction unjustifiably narrows the fundamental right to freedom of religion and disproportionately affects Muslim girls.

· Carla Amina BaghajatiThe Islamic Religious Community criticized the new law.

Austria’s Islamic Religious Community, IGGÖ, opposes the ban. Its representative Carla Amina Baghajati said the restriction unjustifiably narrows the fundamental right to religious freedom and disproportionately affects Muslim girls. The organization said it would support complaints by girls and their families who believe their basic rights have been violated and want to take the case to the Constitutional Court.

There is no place for political Islam in Austria, certainly not in our schools.

· Ricarda BergerThe Freedom Party representative called for a broader restriction.

The ban follows an earlier legal dispute. Austria’s Supreme Court overturned a headscarf ban in primary schools in 2020, ruling that it conflicted with the country’s principle of religious neutrality. Girls and women over 14 can still cover their hair in accordance with Muslim tradition, while the far-right Freedom Party is calling for a broader ban covering headscarves and face-covering niqabs for pupils and teachers.

I do not want to live in an Islamic state.

· Christian StockerThe Austrian chancellor made the remark while calling for a constitutional ban on political Islam.
About this summary

Originally published by Rzeczpospolita in Polish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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