Following Lower Austria, Tyrol will now also introduce a ban on headscarves for girls under the age of 14. The proposal titled “Immediate Introduction of a Headscarf Ban for Minors in Public Spaces,” submitted by the FPO’s parliamentary group, was passed in the Tyrolean provincial parliament with support from the OVP and SPO.
Last week, Lower Austria's provincial parliament passed a legislative package called the “Action Plan Against Radical Islam,” which includes a ban on head coverings for girls under 14, a ban on garments covering the whole body from the top of the head to the ground for public service roles, and the inclusion of democratic values in the provincial constitution.
The action plan protects our children, women, and families who want to live in freedom, security, and peace—without Islamist influence. We don’t need an imported culture war in our classrooms,
said Udo Landbauer (FPO), Deputy Governor of Lower Austria, following the provincial parliamentary vote, as reported by the international V4NA news agency.
Tyrol is now following suit. According to Sebastian Kolland, integration spokesperson for the OVP, banning headscarves for children is a long-overdue step against Islamist tendencies.
Kolland argued that headscarf-wearing in childhood is not a religious act but rather an expression of a problematic cultural view that forces young girls into rigid roles early in life.
Philip Wohlgemuth, the SPO's deputy state chairman, also supports the ban, emphasizing:
Girls should grow up freely, without worry and without social pressure.
These province-level decisions are now putting increasing pressure on Austria’s federal government. Claudia Plakolm (OVP), Federal Minister for European Affairs, Integration, and Family, said in an interview that the government could constitutionally regulate a headscarf ban for those under 14. However, there is no clear information yet on when such a federal law might be drafted or implemented, according to Exxpress.at.
Cover photo: Illustration (Source: Pexels)
