For them, the headscarf is not a sign of religious freedom, but rather an expression of subordination and discrimination against Muslim girls. Marianne Binder (64) does not want to put up with it. It is not the first time that the Central National Councilor of Aargau has targeted children’s headscarves in schools and kindergartens.
With an advance, Binder wants the Federal Council to investigate a ban. Not so simple, after all, the federal constitution guarantees freedom of religion. That is precisely why the center politician wants to clarify whether religious law should be subordinate to constitutional law here.
“Not according to the constitution”
All children should be given the same rights and freedoms, as well as child protection. “In our educational institutions, the free development of all children without children’s headscarves must be guaranteed,” emphasizes Binder. “Reliance on freedom of belief and conscience to justify subordination cannot be in the spirit of the Constitution.”
It is clear to her that the headscarf is usually forced on girls by their parents. The school, on the other hand, should stand up for the rule of law and thus for freedom and equal rights for everyone, she believes. “That is why the headscarf for Muslim girls with a sexualizing and discriminatory character should not belong,” Binder demands. Because: “It inhibits the development and freedom of movement of the girls and goes against the educational goal of equal rights and equal opportunities.”
Civil party support
Even if it concerns only a small minority: Binder is convinced that they cannot simply be ignored. This is not about special rights against minorities, but about rights for a small minority of children.
Binder is not alone in her claim. She receives support from various civil parties. Among them are Gerhard Pfister (60) and Philipp Bregy (44), not only the chairman and faction leader of the Mitte party, but also EPP chairman Lilian Studer (44), SVP national councilor Esther Friedli (45) and FDP- counselor Jacqueline de Quattro (62).
The Federal Council sees the ball in the cantons
The Federal Council has so far reacted very differently. He clearly rejected earlier calls for a headscarf ban in schools. The responsible judiciary and police saw no need for legislative measures. However, the government mainly pointed out that the school system was the responsibility of the cantons.
The Federal Council is convinced that this federalist approach has proven to be very effective overall – “particularly given the large denominational and cultural differences between the cantons and their treatment of religion, which are shaped by local traditions”. Better results can be achieved with such individual solutions on the spot than with a nationwide headscarf ban in schools. (dba)