The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) has called for legislation in Germany to prevent girls under 14 from wearing Muslim headscarves in public schools.
The AfD parliamentary group argued that Austria should serve as a model in this regard. In Austria, a new regulation banning girls under 14 from wearing Islamic headscarves at schools is expected to take effect next month.
Przygodda defends “Western values”
AfD lawmaker Kerstin Przygodda described reports that some Muslim communities in Austria plan to defy the ban as “alarming.”
Przygodda said a similar ban was also necessary in Germany, arguing that such legislation would defend “Western values.” The AfD parliamentary group also criticized established parties over their migration policies and called for Austria’s model to be implemented for children in public educational institutions.
CDU, SPD and Greens oppose proposal
The AfD’s attempt to put forward a similar ban earlier this year led to heated debates in parliament.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), its coalition partner the Social Democratic Party (SPD), and the opposition Greens strongly opposed the proposal.
Critics argued that the AfD was using the headscarf issue to increase negative sentiment toward Muslims and as a campaign tool ahead of state elections scheduled for September 6 in Saxony-Anhalt and September 20 in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
It was also stated that the AfD’s claims that girls in Germany’s Muslim communities are widely forced to cover their heads are not based on solid evidence. According to critics, most young girls who wear headscarves do so not under coercion but because of cultural practice, family tradition or personal choice.
