VIENNA, 08 Sept. - (ANA) - Austria has begun enforcing a new law banning Muslim headscarves in schools for girls under the age of 14 as the new academic year gets under way, amid political and social divisions over the measure and its compatibility with religious freedoms.

 

The ban applies to public and private schools across Austria and targets head coverings traditionally worn by Muslims, including the hijab.

 

The Austrian government has alleged that the measure was aimed at "protecting" girls and promoting gender equality.

 

The legislation was proposed by Austria's ruling coalition, comprising the conservative Austrian People's Party (ÖVP), the Social Democrats (SPÖ) and the liberal NEOS party. It was passed by parliament in December with the support of the far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ).

 

The move has faced criticism from Muslim representatives and political groups, amid warnings that the ban could fuel anti-Muslim sentiment in Austria and face a constitutional challenge.

 

Austria's leading Muslim organisation, the Islamic Community in Austria (IGGÖ), has strongly opposed the legislation, arguing that it imposes unjustified restrictions on freedom of religion and disproportionately affects Muslim girls.

 

The organisation has said that rather than protecting children, the ban singles out a particular religious practice and risks excluding the very girls the legislation claims to protect.

 

IGGÖ has pledged to support girls and their families in legal challenges where they believe their fundamental rights have been violated, potentially taking cases before Austria's Constitutional Court.

 

The controversy is not Austria's first legal battle over headscarves in schools.

 

In 2020, the country's constitutional court struck down an earlier ban applying to children under the age of 10, ruling that it discriminated against Muslims and conflicted with the state's obligation to remain religiously neutral.

 

IGGÖ has pledged to challenge the new legislation before the same court. Previous challenges were rejected in July because the law had not yet entered into force.

 

Education Minister Christoph Wiederkehr, of NEOS, acknowledged that the government could not be certain the legislation would survive a constitutional challenge.

 

"You can never be completely certain," Wiederkehr told Austrian public broadcaster ORF on Monday.

 

"We in the government carried out very intensive consultations and we in the education ministry tried very hard to write a law that complies with the constitution," he added.

 

Under the new law, teachers are responsible for dealing with cases in which pupils wear headscarves at school. They must initially hold discussions with the pupil and her parents or legal guardians.

 

If the ban continues to be breached, further action can be taken, with fines ultimately ranging from €150 to €800.

 

The legislation has also raised concerns among some teachers, who say responsibility for enforcing the ban could add another burden to their work.

 

The Green Party's Sigi Maurer has accused Wiederkehr of "creating new conflicts and dumping them on teachers", arguing that educators are already under significant pressure and should not be expected to act as police alongside their teaching responsibilities.

 

The headscarf ban had already prompted protests in Vienna before it came into force. An 11-year-old pupil who took part in a demonstration in February carried a sign reading: "My hijab, my choice."

 

The new school year began on Monday in Vienna, Lower Austria and Burgenland, with schools in the rest of Austria due to reopen next week.   - (ANA) -

 

AB/ANA/08 September 2026 - - -