Fri, 24 Oct 2025

Switzerland’s federal council has ruled out a nationwide ban on schoolgirls wearing hijab in public schools, citing existing laws that already guarantee participation in lessons, sports, and swimming.

The decision follows a 2024 parliamentary mandate requesting an examination of such a ban.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Swiss government said regulation of religious dress in schools falls under cantonal authority.

In some cases, cantons had imposed restrictions on headscarves, prompting the Federal Supreme Court to clarify the legal framework.

In a landmark 2015 ruling, the court determined that a blanket ban would conflict with Switzerland’s constitution.

The government added that public schools should maintain neutrality regarding religious symbols, reinforcing its opposition to a general prohibition on children’s headscarves.

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The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the United States’ largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organisation, welcomed the Swiss government’s decision on hijab in schools.

In a statement, CAIR said: “We stand in solidarity with the Swiss Muslim community, and we welcome the government’s decision to reject a discriminatory ban on hijab in schools.

“This decision affirms the fundamental right of religious expression. Freedom of religion includes the right to wear religious attire without fear of repression or marginalisation.”

In 2023, CAIR condemned a decision by Switzerland’s lower house of parliament to ban the wearing of the face veil, often called the niqab or burqa, sometimes worn by Muslim women.

On Wednesday, CAIR called on Portugal’s parliament to reject an Islamophobic bill that would ban the wearing of the face veil. (swissinfo.ch)

source https://dailytrust.com/swiss-govt-rejects-nationwide-ban-on-hijab-in-schools/#google_vignette