Elham Asaad Buaras
Austria is poised to reintroduce a controversial ban on Muslim headscarves in schools, targeting girls under the age of 14. The move, announced by Interior Minister Claudia Plakolm of the Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP), would extend to all schools, including private and Islamic institutions, several of which operate in Vienna, the country’s capital.
Plakolm first indicated her intention to pursue a ban in mid-July. Further details emerged this month, with the tabloid Krone reporting that the government could decide on the measure at a council of ministers meeting later this month. Following approval, the Interior Ministry would draft legislation for parliamentary consideration.
Under the proposed law, teachers would be required to report students who defy the headscarf ban. Parents of repeat offenders could face fines of up to €1,000 (£860). Plakolm estimated that between 9,000 and 12,000 girls in Vienna, home to Austria’s largest Muslim community, would be affected.
The initiative comes amid broader demographic shifts. According to figures from the Austrian Integration Fund released on September 1, nearly 30 per cent of Austrians under 19 have a migrant background, rising to 54 per cent in Vienna.
Plakolm framed the policy as part of a broader effort to support Muslim girls in leading what she described as a “self-determined and visible life,” accompanied by unspecified measures aimed at empowerment. Nevertheless, the challenge remains in drafting a law that withstands judicial scrutiny.
Austria has attempted this measure before. In 2019, the ÖVP–Austrian Freedom Party coalition under Chancellor Sebastian Kurz enacted a headscarf ban, which the Constitutional Court struck down the following year for violating freedom of religion. Constitutional law experts remain sceptical that the new government will succeed.
“In its ruling from 2020, the Constitutional Court drew very narrow boundaries, and I do not see how these can be overcome,” law professor Heinz Mayer told ORF, the Austrian state broadcaster. Enforcement also remains a question mark: no fines were issued under the previous law.
The headscarf has become a flashpoint in Austria’s ongoing debate over integration, religion, and children’s rights. Officials have framed it as a symbol of oppression and an expression of extremism, while critics argue that banning it infringes on religious freedom and disproportionately affects Muslim communities.
As Austria moves toward revisiting the ban, international observers and rights groups are likely to scrutinise both the legal framework and the potential social consequences of a policy that touches on the intersection of education, religion, and minority rights.
Photo: Austria’s Interior Minister Claudia Plakolm has announced plans to extend the hijab ban to all schools, including private and Islamic institutions.
(Credit: ÖVP Parlamentsklub/Wikimedia)
