VIENNA: Austria’s lower house of parliament on Thursday passed a ban on Muslim headscarves in schools for girls under 14 despite uncertainty over whether the legislation will be ruled unconstitutional as a previous ban was five years ago.
The ban, proposed by the ruling coalition of three centrist parties, was also backed by the far-right Freedom Party, which was alone in calling for it to apply to school staff as well. The only party to oppose the proposed ban was the smallest in parliament, the Greens, arguing it violates the constitution.
Rights groups have criticized the plan. Amnesty International said it would “add to the current racist climate toward Muslims.” The body that officially represents Austria’s Muslims has called it an infringement of fundamental rights.
“This is not about restricting freedom, but about protecting the freedom of girls up to 14,” Yannick Shetty, the parliamentary leader of the liberal Neos, the most junior party in the ruling coalition, told the lower house.
“It (the headscarf) is not just an item of clothing. It serves, particularly with minors, to shield girls from the male gaze. It sexualizes girls,” he said.
