Austria has handed a regulation banning headscarves in colleges for ladies beneath 14 years.

The conservative-led coalition of 3 centrist events, the ÖVP, the SPÖ and the Neos, says the regulation is a “transparent dedication to gender equality, however critics say it’s going to gas anti-Muslim feeling within the nation and might be unconstitutional.

The measure will observe to ladies in each private and non-private colleges.

In 2020, a an identical scarf ban for ladies beneath 10 used to be struck down by way of the Constitutional Court, as it particularly focused Muslims.

The phrases of the brand new regulation imply women beneath 14 shall be forbidden from dressed in “conventional Muslim” head coverings reminiscent of hijabs or burkas.

If a pupil violates the ban, they should have a sequence of discussions with faculty government and their felony guardians. If there are repeated violations, the kid and early life welfare company should be notified.

As a final lodge, households or guardians might be fined as much as €800 (£700).

Members of the federal government say that is about empowering younger women, arguing it’s to give protection to them “from oppression”.

Speaking forward of the vote, the parliamentary chief of the liberal Neos birthday party, Yannick Shetty, mentioned it used to be “no longer a measure in opposition to a faith. It is a measure to give protection to the liberty of ladies on this nation,” and added that the ban would impact about 12,000 kids.

The opposition far-right Freedom Party of Austria, the FPÖ, which voted in favour of the ban, mentioned it didn’t move some distance sufficient.

It described the ban as “a primary step”, which must be widened to incorporate all pupils and faculty body of workers.

“There must be a basic ban on headscarves in colleges; political Islam has no position right here, the FPÖ’s spokesperson on households, Ricarda Berger, mentioned.

Sigrid Maurer from the opposition Greens known as the brand new regulation “obviously unconstitutional”.

The reliable Islamic Community in Austria, the IGGÖ, mentioned the ban violated elementary rights and would break up society.

In a remark on its web site, it mentioned, “Instead of empowering kids, they’re going to be stigmatised and marginalised.”

The IGGÖ mentioned it might evaluation “the constitutionality of the regulation and take all important steps.”

“The Constitutional Court already dominated unequivocally in 2020 that any such ban is unconstitutional, because it particularly objectives a non secular minority and violates the main of equality,” the IGGÖ mentioned.

The executive says it has attempted to keep away from that.

“Will it move muster with the Constitutional Court? I have no idea. We have finished our perfect,” Shetty mentioned.

An awareness-raising trial length will get started in February 2026, with the ban absolutely going into drive subsequent September – the start of the brand new faculty 12 months.

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