Bill Passes Austrian Parliament, to Take Effect Next September
Ban Extends to Break Times, Muslim Community Voices Opposition
A law banning female students from wearing headscarves in school classrooms in Austria will take effect starting September next year.
According to the New York Times and other sources on the 12th (local time), the Austrian parliament has passed a bill prohibiting girls under the age of 14 from wearing headscarves in classrooms beginning in September next year. As a result, girls under 14 will not be allowed to wear headscarves during class or even during breaks. However, field trips conducted outside of school are an exception.
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Parents of children who repeatedly violate the headscarf ban will be fined between 150 euros (approximately 260,000 won) and 800 euros (approximately 1,390,000 won).
The Austrian government explained that this measure is intended to protect children's rights. According to the government, the number of Muslim girls under 14, which was around 3,000 in 2019, has now surged to 12,000. As a result, the need to "protect children from social and religious pressure" has grown.
Claudia Plakolm, Austria's Minister for Integration, stated at a press conference last month that "for an 11-year-old girl, the headscarf is a symbol of oppression," emphasizing that it "causes negative effects such as shame, distorted body image, and low self-esteem."
Although this legislation has long been a goal of Austria's nationalist right, the Austrian courts could still overturn the law in the future. Previously, in 2019, the Austrian parliament passed a law banning girls under 10 from wearing headscarves in elementary schools, but at that time, the Austrian Constitutional Court ruled it unconstitutional on the grounds that it discriminated against Muslim students. Currently, Muslims make up more than 8% of Austria's population, making them the second-largest religious group after Catholics.
News of the bill's passage has sparked strong backlash, particularly from the Muslim community. The "Islamic Religious Community," which represents Muslims in Austria, announced it would file a lawsuit against the law. The group stated, "No child should be forced to wear a headscarf. This is non-negotiable," and added, "No child should be prevented by a state ban from voluntarily practicing their religious identity."
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