VIENNA: Austria has begun enforcing a law banning girls under the age of 14 from wearing headscarves in schools following the reopening of schools after the summer holidays.
The measure was proposed by Austria’s three-party governing coalition, which said the ban was intended to protect girls’ freedom and promote their independence.
Parliament approved the legislation in December with support from the far-right Freedom Party. The Green Party, the smallest opposition party in parliament, opposed the measure.
Under the new law, school authorities must first discuss the violation with a student. Fines ranging from 150 to 800 euros ($175 to $930) may then be imposed for continued violations.
The Islamic Religious Community in Austria, the country’s official representative body for Muslims, has described the measure as a violation of fundamental rights and said it plans to challenge the law in court.
Courts had rejected petitions against the measure in July, saying at the time that the law had not yet taken effect.
Austria’s Constitutional Court previously struck down a 2019 law banning headscarves for girls younger than 10 in schools. In 2020, the court ruled that the measure was discriminatory toward Muslims and said the state must remain neutral in religious matters.
