AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): According to Al Jazeera, the Italian government's plan to ban full face covering, including the burqa and niqab, in schools has faced criticism from a number of Muslims and experts, while the number of students using this covering is reported to be very limited. The Italian cabinet also approved this ban in the form of a legal decree on September 24.
Muslims' Reaction to a Controversial Ban
At the "Al-Wahid" Mosque in the city of Milan, a number of Muslims expressed surprise at Giorgia Meloni's government's decision to ban the burqa and niqab in schools. "Moulaika Laura Enriello," a 58-year-old high school teacher, said that during her years of activity, she has never seen a student with full face covering in school, and only some students use the hijab, which, according to her, does not face opposition from teachers or other students.
Meloni had previously raised this ban by citing gender equality and said that students must be present in school with open faces. According to a report by the state agency ANSA, the number of female students who use full face covering in Italy is estimated at about 500 to 600.
Protest Against the "Exaggeration" of a Limited Phenomenon
"Yahya Pallavicini," the imam of the Al-Wahid Mosque and vice-president of the Islamic Religious Community of Italy, considered this ban as dealing with a "false issue" and said focusing on a covering that only a small minority of Muslims use can create an incorrect image of Islam in public opinion. He also assessed this action within the framework of political treatment of a part of the Italian Muslim community; a view raised by him and critics of the plan.
Meanwhile, "Renata Pepicelli," a professor of Islamic studies at the University of Pisa, referring to the historical background of the dispute over the hijab, has examined the recent action in Italy's current political atmosphere. On the other hand, "Nico Tonetti," a law researcher at the University of Bologna, said these regulations can be examined by parliament from the perspective of proportionality with the declared objectives and compatibility with religious freedom rights.
The Ban on the Eve of the 2027 Elections
The new decree of the Italian government is not limited to face covering, and a 30 percent ceiling for the presence of foreign students without sufficient mastery of the Italian language in school classes is also foreseen in it. The government has justified this set of measures with the aim of strengthening social integration and preventing the formation of segregated classes.
The Meloni government's decision has been taken as Italy's political atmosphere moves toward the 2027 elections. "Lorenzo Castellani," a professor of the history of political institutions at LUISS University, believes that Meloni, by emphasizing issues such as immigration and security, seeks to consolidate her position among right-wing voters and prevent identity issues from being ceded to more right-wing currents; this analysis is a political expert's view on the possible motivations of this policy and not the official position of the government.
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