Austrian lawmakers on Thursday voted by a large majority in favor of a law banning headscarves in schools for girls under 14, a move that human rights groups and experts say is discriminatory and could deepen social division.
Austria's conservative-led government, under pressure over growing anti-immigration sentiment, proposed the ban earlier this year, arguing it aims to protect girls “from oppression.”
In 2019, the country introduced a headscarf ban in primary schools, but the constitutional court overturned it.
This time, the government insisted its law is constitutional, although experts have suggested it could be seen as discriminatory against a religion (Islam) and putting children in an uncomfortable position.
The law prevents girls under 14 from wearing veils that “cover the head in accordance with Islamic traditions” in all schools.
After a debate on Thursday, only the opposition Green Party voted against the ban.
Before the vote, legislator Yannick Shetty, of the liberal NEOS, stated that the scarf “is not just a piece of clothing,” but rather “sexualizes girls.”
“When a girl […] They tell him that he must hide his body […] Protecting yourself from the gaze of men is not a religious rite, but rather oppression,” said the Minister of Integration, Claudia Plakolm, when presenting the bill.
The ban, which applies to “all forms” of the Islamic veil, including hijabs and burqas, will go into full effect with the start of the new school year in September, Plakolm said.
An initial period will begin in February during which the new rules will be explained to educators, parents and children with no penalties for breaking them.
But for repeated noncompliance, parents would face fines ranging from $175 to $930.
The government said about 12,000 girls would be affected by the new law.
'Stigmatized'
Human rights groups and activists have long argued that banning the veil amounts to telling women what to wear, rather than allowing them the freedom to decide for themselves.
Organizations, including Amnesty International Austria, have criticized the bill.
Amnesty said it “constitutes blatant discrimination against Muslim girls” and described it as an “expression of anti-Muslim racism”.
Such measures risk “stoking existing prejudices and stereotypes against Muslims,” the group warned.
The bill has also attracted criticism from the IGGOe, the body officially recognized as representing the country's Muslim communities.
He said the ban “endangers social cohesion,” stating that “instead of empowering children, they are stigmatized and marginalized.”
Angelika Atzinger, general director of the Amazone women's rights association, said the veil ban “sends the message to girls that decisions are being made about their bodies and that this is legitimate.”
His comments appeared in a statement published by the anti-racism group SOS Mitmensch, which also opposes the proposed law.
However, Austria's far-right, anti-immigration Freedom Party (FPOe) said the ban was not enough. They want it to be extended to all students, teachers and other staff.
In France, authorities in 2004 banned schoolchildren from wearing signs of religious affiliation such as headscarves, turbans or Jewish kippahs, based on the country's secular laws, which aim to ensure neutrality in state institutions.
