Systematic Circumvention

Headscarf Penalties: Organizations Want to Pay for Parents

Conflicts will inevitably arise at problem schools.(Bild: APA/HERBERT NEUBAUER)

Islamic associations are organizing a systematic circumvention of the headscarf ban in schools for girls under the age of 14. First, the process is delayed—there are detailed instructions for this. Should fines be imposed, the associations intend to pay them on behalf of the parents.

So-called “legalistic Islamism” in Austria and Europe, which systematically infiltrates the state, is organized through numerous associations. The “Krone” has reported on this in detail. These groups are interconnected and well-organized. Some of the funding comes from Arab countries. The goal is the Islamization of Europe and the establishment of an Islamic state.

Vienna SPÖ Politician Causes a Stir
In the headscarf debate, Viennese politician Omar Al-Rawi, who serves in the state parliament for the SPÖ, is currently causing a stir. On Facebook, he describes the law as discriminatory and unconstitutional (see post below). In response to a user’s question about how a headscarf ban could constitute religious discrimination if wearing a headscarf is not even a religious requirement for girls, Al-Rawi replied: “Puberty can occur before the age of 14. And the Shi’a school of law sees it differently.” He also refers to the president of the Islamic Religious Community (IGGÖ), Ümit Vural, as “our president.”

“Someone else will pay the fine”
Teachers told the “Krone” that parents have already told them that any potential fines would be covered by associations or NGOs anyway. At a roundtable discussion at the Federal Chancellery, which the “Krone” attended, educators reported: “It’s just like when a child skips school. In those cases, the fines are also covered by NGOs or associations.” Then some parents say: “I don’t care about the fine. Someone else will pay it anyway.”

However, it’s a long road before penalties are actually imposed. In the event of a violation, the teacher first issues a warning to the student and reports the incident to the school administration. The administration must then hold discussions with the child and the parents. This process can be delayed. In cases of persistent violations, the Department of Education intervenes. If the parents or guardians continue to ignore the ban, a formal complaint is filed, and administrative fines ranging from 150 to 800 euros may subsequently be imposed.

Politicians Must Respond to Deliberate Circumvention of the Law
When asked about this by the *Krone*, Vienna’s City Councilor for Education, Bettina Emmerling (NEOS), responded firmly. She stated that such reports must be “examined very closely.” If organizations specifically support parents in flouting the headscarf ban, she views this as a “deliberate call” to “undermine or ignore” a law in force. Emmerling expects the federal government and the Chancellor’s Office to investigate such cases.

Integration Minister Claudia Bauer (ÖVP) has also spoken out. As part of the ban on political Islam, she intends to advocate for a ban on the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamist organizations in Austria. The Islamic Religious Community could also be affected, the minister says.

Minister Bauer is taking on the Islamic Religious Community.(Bild: APA/ROLAND SCHLAGER)

“I don’t think we can rule it out,” Bauer said in reference to the IGGÖ. The difficulty with political Islam, she explained, is that it has “insidiously spread even within established institutions.” In any case, Bauer demanded a clear statement from the Islamic Religious Community on “where the line is drawn here.” In the past, she said, she had seen “little to nothing” in terms of measures against radicalization and extremism.