Austria’s controversial ban on headscarves for girls under 14 is facing its first major test as schools reopen across the country.
The ban will take effect as the new academic year begins, with Muslim organizations and student groups raising concerns about discrimination and religious freedom.
Austria’s main Muslim representative body has announced plans to challenge the legislation before the Constitutional Court.
The government says the measure is intended to protect girls’ freedom and promote their rights within schools.
Muslim Body Calls Ban a Rights Violation
The Islamic Religious Community in Austria (IGGO), which formally represents the country’s Muslim community, has strongly opposed the legislation.
The organisation has described the ban as an infringement of fundamental rights.
It has also pledged to challenge the measure before Austria’s Constitutional Court.
The court rejected earlier challenges in July because the new legislation had not yet entered into force.
Austria’s Constitutional Court had previously struck down a similar headscarf restriction in 2020.
That earlier ban applied to girls under the age of 10 in schools. The court found that it discriminated against Muslims and conflicted with the state’s obligation to remain religiously neutral.
The court said any departure from that principle would require special justification.
Government Defends New Legislation
Austria’s governing coalition of three centrist parties introduced the latest ban, arguing that it would protect the freedom of young girls.
Parliament approved the legislation in December with support from the far-right Freedom Party.
The left-wing Greens were the only parliamentary party to vote against the measure.
Education Minister Christoph Wiederkehr acknowledged that the Constitutional Court could still overturn the new law.
“You can never be completely certain,” Wiederkehr said when asked whether the court would reject the legislation.
He defended the government’s approach, saying officials had conducted extensive consultations while preparing the law.
The minister said the Education Ministry had worked to ensure that the legislation complied with Austria’s Constitution.
Schools Reopen Amid Protests and Legal Challenge
The new school year begins Monday in Vienna, Lower Austria and Burgenland, while schools in Austria’s other states will reopen the following week.
Left-wing student organisations have called for protests against the ban.
The legislation is now expected to face scrutiny both in schools and through the legal system.
Muslim organisations argue that the restriction unfairly targets Muslim girls, while the government maintains that the measure is designed to protect their freedom.
The Constitutional Court will ultimately determine whether the new restrictions comply with Austria’s constitutional protections and principles of religious neutrality.
