Austria bans headscarves in primary schoolsMay 16, 2019 - 11:08 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Austrian MPs on Wednesday, May 15 approved a law aimed at banning the headscarf in primary schools, a measure proposed by the ruling right-wing government, The Guardian reports. The text refers to any “ideologically or religiously influenced clothing which is associated with the covering of the head”. Representatives of both parts of the governing coalition, the centre-right People’s Party (OeVP) and the far-right Freedom Party (FPOe), have made it clear that despite its wide description, the law is targeted at the Islamic headscarf. The FPOe education spokesman, Wendelin Moelzer, said the law was “a signal against political Islam” while OeVP MP Rudolf Taschner said the measure was necessary to free girls from “subjugation”. The government said the patka head covering worn by Sikh boys and the Jewish kippa would not be affected. Austria’s official Muslim community organisation IGGOe has previously condemned the proposals as “shameless” and a “diversionary tactic”. It says that in any case only a “minuscule number” of girls would be affected. An Austrian ban on full-face coverings introduced in 2017 as part of an “integration” policy aimed at limiting the visibility of orthodox Islam in public life was criticised by police after it emerged that the law mainly resulted in the issuing of warnings against people wearing smog masks, skiing gear and animal costumes. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Cyprus parliament honors Armenian genocide victims Acting House President Zacharias Koulias noted that April 24 marks the “black anniversary” of the Armenian genocide. Armenia PM, France envoy discuss regional matters Issues related to the consistent development of Armenia-France cooperation were discussed. Azerbaijan razes historic Armenian church to ground Azerbaijan has demolished the historic Armenian Church of St. John the Baptist (known as Kanach Zham). Russia to begin assessing migrant workers' speaking skills Rosobrnadzor is planning to change the Russian language exam for migrant workers and include an assessment of speaking skills |