The future Austrian government plans to ban girls under the age of 14 from wearing the hijab, amid growing pressure to combat political Islam movements. According to the government program of the three coalition parties – the conservative Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP), the Social Democratic Party (SPÖ), and the liberal NEOS party – efforts are underway to implement this ban to protect young girls from “isolation and oppression.”

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It is worth noting that these three parties, which have agreed to form a new governing coalition in Austria, plan to introduce a series of measures related to asylum and integration.

Among these measures, family reunification for individuals granted asylum in Austria will be “immediately and temporarily” suspended.

To prevent rejected asylum seekers from going into hiding, they will be housed in specialized centers dedicated to processing their deportation. The program ensures that humane living conditions will be provided in these centers, with particular attention to children’s needs.

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Following the recent attack in the city of Villach – classified as a “terrorist attack” by Austrian authorities – and an attempted attack in Vienna, the three centrist parties aim to tighten the penal code to enhance the fight against religious extremism, specifically targeting “political Islam.“

This move comes less than a month after Germany’s right-wing populist party, Alternative for Germany (AfD), submitted a proposal in the German Parliament calling for the ban of political Islam.

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Since 2019, Austria has been waging a strong campaign against political Islam and the Muslim Brotherhood. This effort began with banning the symbols of the latter and other extremist groups, followed by legal investigations, police raids targeting Brotherhood members, and the establishment of a center to document political Islam activities.

According to analysts, the current political stance of Austria’s major parties on political Islam is unprecedented and paves the way for decisive measures in the coming months. These could range from restricting activities and cutting financial support to launching legal actions and enforcing an outright ban.

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