Austria passed a legal amendment Thursday prohibiting Muslim girls under 14 from wearing headscarves in schools, a move sharply criticized by the Islamic Religious Community in Austria for stigmatizing children and weakening social cohesion, with the group pledging to challenge the law on constitutional grounds.
The ban applies to "headscarves that cover the head in accordance with Islamic traditions," according to the text of the law, which will come into force at the start of the 2026/2027 school year.
This includes coverings such as headscarves or burqas. An "information phase" will begin in February to prepare schools for the new regulation.
In the event of violations, the school management should first hold a meeting with the girl concerned and her parents.
If the child continues to wear a headscarf, the parents must speak to the relevant school authority. As a last resort, fines of up to €800 ($931) may be imposed.
The amendment to the law was passed with the votes of the governing parties – the conservative Austrian People's Party (ÖVP), the Social Democrats (SPÖ) and the liberal NEOS party. The opposition far-right Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) also supported the measure.
The Greens do not fundamentally reject a headscarf ban, but voted against the current law, which they say is not formulated in accordance with the constitution.
A similar regulation by the ÖVP-FPÖ coalition from 2019 was overturned by the Constitutional Court. At that time, the ban was only intended for primary schools.
Among other things, the judges criticized that the law only targeted Muslim girls and not all religious head coverings.
The current government argues that the aim is to prevent gender-based oppression, which it says does not exist with the Jewish kippah or the Sikh patka, for example.
The Islamic Religious Community in Austria (IGGÖ) criticized the new ban for stigmatizing children and weakening social cohesion. The IGGÖ said it would challenge the law under constitutional law.
