Austrian lawmakers pass headscarf ban for under-14s in schools

Al JazeeraCenterEN 2 min read 100% complete by By News AgenciesDecember 11, 2025 at 06:37 PM

AI Summary

short article 2 min

In December 2025, Austrian lawmakers passed a law banning headscarves for girls under 14 in all schools. This new legislation follows a previous ban for under-10s that was overturned by the Constitutional Court for being discriminatory. The law, proposed by the governing coalition and supported by the far-right Freedom Party, aims to prevent headscarves that "cover the head in accordance with Islamic traditions." Non-compliance will result in fines ranging from 150 to 800 euros. The government believes this law will withstand legal challenges, while rights group Amnesty International says the ban will negatively impact around 12,000 girls and contribute to a racist climate towards Muslims.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Freedom Party 50% People's Party 50% Claudia Plakolm 60% Amnesty 70% Austria ×480%

Keywords

headscarf ban 100% muslim headscarves 90% religious discrimination 70% school policy 60% islamophobia 60% austrian law 50% human rights 50% religious neutrality 40% amnesty international 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Negative

Score: -0.40

Source Transparency

Source

Al Jazeera

Political Lean

Center (0.00)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

Austria

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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headscarf ban muslim headscarves religious discrimination school policy islamophobia austrian law human rights religious neutrality amnesty international

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