Austria bans Muslim headscarf in primary schools

Austria has passed a law intended to ban Muslim girls from wearing a headscarf in primary schools. The Jewish yarmulke and Sikh patka are not included in the new measure.

(source Deutsche Welle)

Austria's parliament has passed a law intended to ban Muslim girls from wearing the headscarf in primary schools, a measure that is likely to be challenged as discriminatory in the constitutional court.

The bill passed with the support of the governing center-right People's Party (ÖVP) and the far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ). Almost all of the opposition voted against it. To avoid the impression that it targets Muslims, the text refers to any "ideologically or religiously influenced clothing which is associated with the covering of the head."

The government said late Wednesday that the patka head covering worn by Sikh boys or the Jewish yarmulke would not be affected because the law refers to head garments that "cover all of the hair or large parts of it." Exceptions are made for head coverings for medical reasons or protection against rain or snow.

Practicing Muslim girls usually begin wearing a headscarf at puberty, and the governing parties have admitted the law is intended for Muslim girls.

ÖVP lawmaker Rudolf Taschner said the law was meant to "free girls from submission," while FPÖ education spokesman Wendelin Mölzer said it was about sending a signal "against political Islam" and promoting integration. 

Former Social Democrat Party education minister, Sonja Hammerschmid, accused the government of trying to make headlines instead of resolving integration or education issues.

Austria's official Muslim community organization, IGGÖ, has said it would legally challenge the "destructive" law that "discriminates exclusively against Muslims."

The ÖVP and FPÖ formed a coalition in 2017 on a strong anti-immigration platform. The law was passed as Muslims celebrate the holy month of Ramadan.

On the said article there are two positions: 1) getting rid of headscarves would facilitate integration. 2)getting rid of headscarves doesn't help integration. Whichever position you agree with the fact remains that the way we dress has an impact in terms of how we interact with others. It has to do with differentiation. Here is the question: Do we feel prone to interact more with those we see as being like us or do we tend not to interact with those that look alien? 

Having gone through centuries of conflict based on religious beliefs, going around using garments as a statement of religious affiliation is not the best anyone can do if he or she intends to be seen as 'one of us'.  There is a historical example of how differentiation was used for political purposes. In the 1930s and 1940s, Jews were forced to have the symbol of the Star of David attached to their clothing so that they could be easily identified as Jews for the purposes of discrimination and persecution.