Muslim Girls Challenge Austrian School Headscarf Ban Before Constitutional Court

Muslim Girls Challenge Austrian School Headscarf Ban Before Constitutional Court
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Five Muslim girls have filed legal appeals with Austria’s Constitutional Court against a new law banning headscarves in schools for girls under the age of 14.

The ban is scheduled to take effect on September 1, 2026, at the start of the 2026/2027 academic year.

The girls, aged between 9 and 12, are supported by their families and are seeking a ruling that would allow them to continue wearing headscarves in classrooms after the law enters into force.

Austria’s Constitutional Court confirmed to the newspaper Heute that it had received the appeals. The court said the cases are currently undergoing a preliminary legal review to determine whether they meet the requirements for consideration.

The plaintiffs argue that wearing the headscarf is a matter of personal choice and religious conviction. They say the law violates several constitutionally protected rights, including equality before the law, freedom of religion and conscience, freedom of expression, respect for private life and the best interests of the child.

Their families also argue that the ban conflicts with parents’ rights to raise their children according to their religious and intellectual beliefs.

Although the law has not yet taken effect, the girls say the prospect of its implementation has already caused psychological distress and feelings of discrimination. They argue that waiting until the law is enforced before challenging it would be unacceptable.

The Constitutional Court is expected to decide whether the appeals are admissible before considering the broader question of the law’s constitutionality.

According to Heute, the cases are the first formal legal challenges filed against Austria’s new headscarf ban since the legislation was enacted.