Austria to ban wearing Islamic headscarves in schools for girls under 14

A girl in a chador. Photo: Soheil Sargolzaei, Wikimedia Commons

On November 20, 2025, the Austrian government approved a bill to apply a ban on wearing Islamic headscarves for schoolgirls under 14 years old. This was reported by Politik-Live.

The document proposes a complete ban on all types of Islamic headwear – including hijabs and burqas – on school premises: during classes, breaks, and sports activities. In case of repeated violations, schools are required to invite parents for a discussion and, if necessary, notify child protection services. Fines for parents range from 150 to 800 euros, and in cases of serious violations, administrative detention for up to two weeks is provided.

Integration Minister Claudia Plakolm (ÖVP) emphasized that the initiative's goal is to protect girls from increasing social pressure. She noted that since 2019, when a similar ban was overturned by the Constitutional Court, the number of girls experiencing pressure to wear a headscarf has increased almost fourfold. Now the influence comes not only from the family but also from radical preachers and popular bloggers on social networks.

The Islamic religious community criticized the bill, calling it politicized and anti-Islamic. However, the government states that all parliamentary parties recognize the problem and expect the law to be passed in December.

Earlier, the UOJ wrote that Iran canceled the mandatory wearing of hijabs for women.

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