Recent remarks by Austria's newly appointed Education Minister Heinz Fassmann against the headscarf have raised concerns for Muslims living in the country.
Fassmann's interview published in local Kurier newspaper on Friday quoted him saying "teachers should not wear a headscarf."
When asked about his opinion on the headscarf ban, Fassmann said: “Yes, I have a sympathy for the secular state and find that teachers should not wear a headscarf, except religious and private school teachers.”
The coalition government formed by Austrian People’s Party (OVP) and the far-right Freedom Party (FPO) earlier this month, has an anti-Islam and anti-immigrant stance.
Reacting to the interview, President of Islamic Religious Authority in Austria (IGGO) Ibrahim Olgun told Anadolu Agency: “Headscarf is our red line.” [Anadolu Agency] Read more
