In Austria this week, a law took effect barring girls under fourteen from wearing headscarves in schools — a measure its architects call a defense of gender equality and its critics call a wound to religious freedom. The question at its heart is ancient: who holds the authority to define protection, and for whom? Austria's Constitutional Court struck down a similar law in 2020, and the legal and moral reckoning is far from over.
Austria enforces Islamic headscarf ban for under-14s as school year begins
Muslim girls under 14 may face exclusion from schools or fines if families refuse to comply with the headscarf ban.