Controversial letter:

Islamic leaders want headscarves even for eight-year-olds

Headscarves will soon be banned in schools for girls under 14. The IGGÖ, however, wants a general ban to apply to even younger children.(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Malik Nalik - stock.adobe.com, zVg, Krone KREATIV)

Veil requirement revealed: The “Krone” was leaked a previously secret declaratory decision from the case file of a proceeding. It reveals what the Islamic Religious Community in Austria itself envisions for young girls: a veil requirement starting at age 8—based on the lunar calendar...

Just a few months before the headscarf ban for girls under 14 takes effect here at the start of the new school year, an old declaratory ruling from the Islamic Religious Community in Austria (IGGÖ) is causing a new stir. In the official ruling, which is in the possession of the “Krone” and originates from the records of a court proceeding, the IGGÖ Advisory Council declares itself the “highest authority” in Austria on the question of what constitutes a “recognized Islamic religious practice” in cases of doubt—and consequently details how the headscarf should be handled.

Shiite doctrine as a commandment
“Wearing the headscarf requires covering the entire body with the exception of the hands up to the wrists and the face,” the ruling states. Thus, covering the hair, neck, and nape is also an “inseparable part” of it. In addition, Mustafa Mullaoğlu, Mufti of the IGGÖ, also specifies exactly when covering becomes a religious obligation. While it is noted that there are several “schools of law” on the matter, it is also made clear that the IGGÖ considers Shiite doctrine to be legitimate. 

Lunar calendar as a guide
This doctrine stipulates that for girls, covering is required as early as the age of 9, or according to the lunar calendar, “at the age of 8 years, 8 months, and approximately 23 days.” This 2019 ruling was also signed by the president of the IGGÖ, Ümit Vural.

Not least because of these findings, the headscarf ban is likely to become a hot topic of discussion again by the start of the school year at the latest.