Germany's Teachers' Association on Monday welcomed a proposal from the government of the country's most-populous state North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) to prohibit girls under the age of 14 from wearing headscarves to school.

"A headscarf ban would help, at least generally speaking, to undermine discrimination on religious grounds and anti-religious bullying," the association's president, Heinz-Peter Meidinger, told the mass-circulation daily Bild newspaper.

He acknowledged that the reality may be different for older girls, but called for an end to the "deliberate display of religious symbols among children with religious backgrounds."

Read more: Should headscarves be allowed in the classroom?

Watch video 01:57 Max Hofmann on EU workplace headscarf ban

NRW Integration Minister Joachim Stamp announced the initiative over the weekend, saying young children should not be made to cover their hair for religious reasons.

Susanne Lin-Klitzing, the head of the German Philological Association, told Bild that in a democracy no sex should be subordinate to another. "A headscarf can be seen as a symbol of that, and so there's no place for it in the classroom."

Read more: Liberal mosque in Berlin draws criticism

Liberal Muslim Seyran Ates, co-founder of the Ibn Rushd-Goethe Mosque in Berlin, said a ban was "long overdue."

Muslim girls usually only start wearing the hijab from puberty. But women's rights organization Terre des Femmes expressed concern over what it described as a growing number of veiled girls at elementary schools.

Burqa, hijab or niqab? What is she wearing? Hijab Most Islamic scholars agree that the hijab, which covers the head and neck, and comes in any number of shapes and colors, must be worn by Muslim women. American teen Hannah Schraim is seen wearing one here while playing with her brother.

Burqa, hijab or niqab? What is she wearing? Chador The chador, which is usually black, is a body-length outer garmet often worn in Iran and among modern-minded women in the Gulf States, as here in Saudi Arabia. It is not fastened with clasps or buttons and therefore has to be held closed by the wearer.

Burqa, hijab or niqab? What is she wearing? Niqab A niqab is a veil and scarf that covers the entire face yet leaves the eyes free. It covers a woman's hair, as it falls to the middle of her back and some are also half-length in the front so as to cover her chest. Here it is being worn by women attending a rally by Salafi radicals in Germany.

Burqa, hijab or niqab? What is she wearing? Abaya An abaya is a loose-fitting, full-length garment designed to cover the body. It may come in many different styles, as seen here at an Arab fashion show, and is often worn in combination with hijab or niqab.

Burqa, hijab or niqab? What is she wearing? Burqa The burqa is the most extensive of all Muslim garments, covering the entire body from head to toe. It traditionally has a woven mesh area around the eyes, severely restricting the wearer's vision. Here they are seen casting their ballots in Pakistani parliamentary elections.

Burqa, hijab or niqab? What is she wearing? No veil Queen Rania of Jordan says that Islam does not coerce women to wear any head coverings and that it is more important to judge a woman by her ethics and values, rather than what she wears. She is seen here meeting refugees in Greece. Author: Jon Shelton



'Populist' proposal

Germany's Islamic Council criticized the NRW proposal for fuelling a debate that was "populist, highly symbolic and devoid of substance."

The council's chairman, Burhan Kesici, said the idea that Muslim girls are forced to cover their hair was outdated. "Compulsory headscarves and a headscarf ban are in the same vein: they both harm Muslims."

He said that although there may be a small number who are forced to wear headscarves, it was "disproportionate and unconstitutional" for the state of NRW to "limit the religious freedom of all Muslim women" because of a suspected minority.

The head of the Conference of Ministers of Education, Helmut Holter, also rejected the idea, adding that there should instead be a greater focus on strengthening democratic education at schools.

"All children should be able to develop into free and self-determined individuals," he told Bild.

Read more: Germany's AfD wants ban on wearing a headscarf in street

Austria's conservative government last week announced a proposal to ban girls from wearing headscarves in nurseries and elementary schools. The chancellor said the so-called "child protection law" aimed to confront the development of "parallel societies."

nm/rt (epd, kna)

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