Minister says ban covers all of veil including hijabs and burqas
\n Vienna
\nAustrian lawmakers on Thursday voted by a large majority in favour of a law banning headscarves in schools for girls under 14, a move rights groups and experts say is discriminatory and could deepen societal division.
\nAustria\u2019s conservative-led government \u2014 under pressure with anti-immigration sentiment running high \u2014 proposed the ban earlier this year, arguing it is aimed at protecting girls \u201cfrom oppression\u201d.
\nIn 2019, the country introduced a ban on headscarves in primary schools, but the constitutional court struck it down.
\nThis time, the government insisted that its law is constitutional, though experts have suggested it could be seen as discriminating against one religion \u2014 Islam \u2014 and putting children in an uncomfortable position.
\nThe law prevents girls younger than 14 from wearing headscarves that \u201ccover the head in accordance with Islamic traditions\u201d in all schools.
\nAfter a debate on Thursday, only the opposition Green Party voted against the ban.
\nAhead of the vote, lawmaker Yannick Shetty of the liberal NEOS said the headscarf \u201cis not just an item of clothing\u201d but \u201csexualises girls\u201d.
\n\u201cWhen a girl […] is told that she must hide her body […] to protect herself from the gaze of men, it\u2019s not a religious ritual, but oppression,\u201d Integration Minister Claudia Plakolm said when presenting the bill.
\nThe ban, which applies to \u201call forms\u201d of the Islamic veil, including hijabs and burqas, would take full effect with the start of the new school year in September, Plakolm said.
\nFrom February, an initial period would be launched during which the new rules would be explained to educators, parents and children with no penalties for breaking them.
\nBut for repeated non-compliance, parents would face fines ranging from $175 to $930.
\nThe government said that about 12,000 girls would be affected by the new law.
\n\u2018Stigmatised\u2019
\nRights groups and activists have long argued that banning headscarves still amounts to telling a woman what to wear, instead of allowing her the freedom to decide on her own.
\nOrganisations, including Amnesty International Austri,a have criticised the bill.
\nAmnesty said it \u201cconstitutes blatant discrimination against Muslim girls\u201d and described it as an \u201cexpression of anti-Muslim racism\u201d.
\nSuch measures risk \u201cfuelling existing prejudices and stereotypes against Muslims\u201d, the group warned.
\nThe draft law has also drawn criticism from the IGGOe, the body officially recognised as representing the country\u2019s Muslim communities.
\nIt said the ban \u201cjeopardises social cohesion\u201d, saying \u201cinstead of empowering children, they are stigmatised and marginalised\u201d.
\nAngelika Atzinger, managing director of the Amazone women\u2019s rights association, said a headscarf ban \u201csends girls the message that decisions are being made about their bodies and that this is legitimate\u201d.
\nHer comments appeared in a statement published by the anti-racism group SOS Mitmensch, which also opposes the proposed law.
\nAustria\u2019s anti-immigration, far-right Freedom Party (FPOe) said the ban did not go far enough, however. They want it extended to all students, teachers and other staff.
\nIn France, authorities banned school children in 2004 from wearing signs of religious affiliation such as headscarves, turbans or Jewish skullcaps, on the basis of the country\u2019s secular laws, which are meant to guarantee neutrality in state institutions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Minister says ban covers all of veil including hijabs and burqas Vienna Austrian lawmakers on Thursday voted by a large majority in favour of a law banning headscarves in schools for girls under 14, a move rights groups and experts say is discriminatory and could deepen societal division. Austria\u2019s conservative-led government \u2014 under pressure with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":519540,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-519513","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n