Austria seeks hijab ban for primary school students
The Austrian government has announced that it will seek to ban the hijab for girls in kindergarten and primary school in the latest measure targeting Muslims in the country.
Education Minister Heinz Fassmann said on Wednesday that the draft law on the hijab – a headscarf worn by many Muslim women who feel it is part of their religion – would be ready by summer, describing the measure as “symbolic”.
The announcement came just days after Vice Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache, a member of the far-right Freedom Party of Austria (FPO), proposed such a ban to “protect” girls under the age of 10 and allow them to “integrate” into Austrian society.
The announcement is one in a string of moves critics say single out and target Muslims, including refugees and migrants, in Austria.
The Austrian government has announced that it will seek to ban the hijab for girls in kindergarten and primary school in the latest measure targeting Muslims in the country. Education Minister Heinz Fassmann said on Wednesday that the draft law on the hijab – a headscarf worn by many Muslim women who feel it is part of their religion – would be ready by summer, describing the measure as “symbolic”. The announcement came just days after Vice Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache, a member of the far-right Freedom Party of Austria (FPO), proposed such a ban to “protect” girls under the age of 10 and allow them to “integrate” into Austrian society. The announcement is one in a string of moves critics say single out and target Muslims, including refugees and migrants, in Austria. The announcement came just days after Vice Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache, a member of the far-right Freedom Party of Austria (FPO), proposed such a ban to “protect” girls under the age of 10 and allow them to “integrate” into Austrian society. The announcement is one in a string of moves critics say single out and target Muslims, including refugees and migrants, in Austria.