ebate Over Zurich Schools
It is not known how many girls and women wear headscarves in Zurich schools. Headscarves could soon be banned in public schools. (File photo)
Data Protection Act
The Zurich Cantonal Council has paved the way for a ban on headscarves in schools. Now the real debate begins: Does a ban protect girls from religious and family pressure—or does it create new problems?
Lea Oetiker, Britta Gfeller
02.09.2026
Here’s what it’s all about
- Religiously motivated head coverings are to be banned in Zurich schools and kindergartens.
- The Cantonal Council approved the SVP motion by a vote of 87 to 82. This was made possible by a center-right alliance consisting of the SVP, FDP, EVP, and EDU, as well as six dissenting members from the GLP and the Greens.
- Green Party member Daniel Heierli wants to protect schools from fundamentalism in this way.
- SP politician Mandy Abou Shoak and the Islamic Organizations in Zurich (VIOZ) disagree: They argue that a blanket ban would not put an end to coercion, but would hinder education and participation.
- The ban is not yet in effect. The cantonal government must draft a bill within two years.
Summary created with
The Zurich Cantonal Council wants to ban headscarves in Zurich schools. On Monday, it approved the SVP’s motion titled “No Oppression of Women and Girls in Zurich Schools and Kindergartens.” 87 cantonal council members voted in favor, 82 against, and 6 abstained.
The SP, the Center Party, the AL, and most of the Greens opposed it. Among the supporters were a center-right alliance consisting of the SVP, the FDP, parts of the EVP and the GLP, as well as two Greens who voted against their party line.
Daniel Heierli is one of the two dissenters. When asked by blue News, he said it wasn’t difficult for him to vote differently from the vast majority of his party in this case. “It is important to me to protect schools from fundamentalism of any kind,” he explains. He realizes that not every woman who wears a headscarf does so for fundamentalist reasons.
Daniel Heierli is one of the few Green Party members who have supported the headscarf ban.
Screenshot: The Greens
“But it is a fact that, for example, members of the Muslim Brotherhood view the headscarf as a symbol of their interpretation of Islam. And it is a fact that right now in Iran, women are being beaten with batons or even killed when they rebel against the mandatory headscarf,” says the Green Party politician.
“And it’s a fact that even in Switzerland, young women have been killed because they wanted to deviate from the lifestyle their families had planned for them.” Given these circumstances, he finds it “somewhat strange” to view the headscarf as a symbol of women’s emancipation.
Gabi Petri, the second Green Party politician to vote in favor of a ban, did not respond to a request from blue News.
Number of girls wearing headscarves unknown
The motion calls for “a ban on wearing clothing that covers the heads of women and girls for religious or ideological reasons at all public schools and kindergartens,” as the Zurich Cantonal Council states in a press release.
Although the motion was approved, this does not yet constitute a ban. The State Council and the Department of Education must first draft a bill within two years, which the legislature will then consider again.
It is not known how many women and girls in the canton would be affected by the ban. No statistics are kept on this. In February, the Federal Council estimated that approximately 3,000 to 5,000 girls between the ages of 11 and 16 wear a headscarf throughout Switzerland. It assumes that the number of girls between the ages of 0 and 10 who wear a headscarf is small.
“There are also no figures available on female teachers who wear an Islamic headscarf in Swiss schools. However, these are likely to be isolated cases,” the Federal Council wrote in the same statement.
“A ban does not change religious beliefs”
One person who spoke out against the ban during the debate in the Zurich Cantonal Council and also voted against it is SP politician Mandy Abou Shoak. She has a master’s degree in human rights, a background in social work, and has worked at a high school for many years.
For SP politician Mandy Abou Shoak, a headscarf ban is the wrong approach.
KEYSTONE
“A ban initially changes the rules for school admission. The The Federal Supreme Court has, however, already ruled that a headscarf ban for female students in public schools constitutes an impermissible infringement on freedom of religion and conscience,” she says in response to a query from blue News. “A ban does not automatically change religious beliefs, family circumstances, or existing coercion. The idea that all girls would simply take off their headscarves and be free afterward is out of touch with reality.”
The ban does not ask whether a girl or woman wears the headscarf voluntarily, whether she is under pressure, or whether and what kind of support she needs. “It turns a piece of clothing into evidence of oppression.”
Yet forcing women to wear headscarves and banning them would both follow the same logic: “Others decide what a girl or woman is allowed to wear.” We should therefore not focus on the piece of cloth, but rather on coercion, violence, and dependency—as well as on access to education, counseling, and economic independence. Not all women who do not wear headscarves are free. And not all women who wear headscarves are unfree.”
Girls could transfer to private schools
A ban on headscarves in schools might, in some cases, provide superficial relief. A girl who wears a headscarf because of pressure might take it off at school.
“But that doesn’t mean family dynamics have disappeared. They continue to play a role in private life, and conflicts can even intensify,” says the SP politician.
«In the end, the ban could end up strengthening the very forces it purports to combat.»
Mandy Abou Shoak
SP State Assembly Member
It’s also possible that some girls might switch to private or more religiously oriented schools because of the ban. “If we push girls out of public schools, they may feel that they don’t belong, that democratic values apply only selectively, and that they are not included,” says Mandy Abou Shoak.
This could lead to disappointment and distrust toward the government. “This is exactly what fundamentalist forces capitalize on when they tell them, ‘This society will never accept you anyway.’ In the end, the ban could end up strengthening the very forces it purports to combat.”
“Wouldn’t admit it if the teacher were watching”
Daniel Heierli of the Green Party is also aware of concerns that girls might have to transfer to other schools because of a headscarf ban. “I think a mass exodus is unlikely,” he says. “It’s possible that some oil sheikhs will send their daughters to private school, if they aren’t already doing so.”
«It’s just important to me that children who grow up here have at least the chance to get to know the local way of life.»
Daniel Heierli
Green Party Member of the Cantonal Council
There are certainly girls who wear the headscarf out of their own conviction. “But there are many who wear it because they’re pressured by those around them. It’s an illusion to believe you can help the latter on an individual basis. They wouldn’t admit to the teacher that they’re being forced to wear the headscarf,” says Daniel Heierli.
“It’s simply important to me that children who grow up here at least get to know the local way of life. I think it’s problematic when closed, parallel societies develop.”
“A complex issue is reduced to a single practice”
The Association of Islamic Organizations in Zurich (VIOZ) regrets the cantonal council’s decision. It considers a blanket ban to be an inappropriate means of achieving the desired goals. “If you want to empower women, you must strengthen their self-determination,” the statement released on Monday reads.
«It is viewed as particularly problematic that discussions about Muslim girls take place without sufficiently involving the girls themselves»
VIOZ
The Association of Islamic Organizations in Zurich
The association’s main point of criticism: A blanket ban fails to distinguish between specific situations of coercion and self-determined religious lifestyles. Muslim women and girls have different life stories, beliefs, and approaches to their religion. Their voices must be taken seriously in a debate that directly affects them.
Another problem is that the motion specifically targets a particular religious community and exclusively affects girls. “This reduces a very complex social issue to a single visible religious practice,” the VIOZ explained to blue News. “If the goal is to protect children from pressure or coercion, then targeted measures are needed instead of blanket bans.”
Those affected would be faced with a conflict
According to the VIOZ, many people from the Muslim community followed the debate in the cantonal council. “Reactions range from disappointment to astonishment at certain arguments put forward in support of the motion,” says VIOZ. “People are particularly critical of the fact that Muslim girls are being discussed without adequately involving the individuals affected.”
The association is particularly critical of the potential consequences for education and social participation. Schools and preschools are central places for social interaction and should provide all children with equal opportunities for development, regardless of their background or religion. If religious affiliation becomes an additional barrier to educational pathways or future career prospects, this would run counter to the right to equal participation.
«The realities of life for Muslim women and girls are marked by diversity, and so is the significance of the headscarf»
VIOZ
The Association of Islamic Organizations in Zurich
What a ban would mean in concrete terms for the girls depends on the final wording of the bill. “It is clear, however, that the girls affected would face a difficult dilemma,” according to the VIOZ. It is difficult to make a blanket assessment, as the situation varies depending on the family context. “However, it is clear that this would limit their participation in society,” the organization adds.
Solution Aims to Strengthen Social Cohesion
“The realities of life for Muslim women and girls are marked by diversity, and so is the significance of the headscarf,” explains the VIOZ. For many Muslim women, the headscarf is an expression of their faith, their identity, or a personal conviction. Others consciously choose not to wear it.
“From our perspective, true self-determination means that women can make their own decisions about their clothing, their faith, and their life path,” says the VIOZ. “This freedom should apply both to women who wear a headscarf and to those who do not.”
The VIOZ calls on the State Council and the Department of Education to ensure transparency, openness, and equal treatment in the drafting of the bill. In addition, the perspectives of the affected community and experts should be taken into account, and the actual impacts on education, integration, and equal opportunity should be carefully examined. “Our hope is for a solution that strengthens social cohesion,” the VIOZ concluded.
Categories: Europe, Hijab, Switzerland