Orriols Proposes Banning the Islamic Veil in Schools and Public Buildings in Ripoll

After overcoming the threat of a no-confidence vote by the opposition in Ripoll's city council, Sílvia Orriols has returned re-energized. Her government has proposed the modification of the civility ordinance. Among the changes, it is proposed to ban the Islamic veil in schools and public buildings in the municipality.

The mayor of Ripoll herself explained the proposed measure in yesterday's plenary session: "For security reasons and to prevent gender discrimination, the prohibition of entering with a helmet, balaclava, or Islamic veil in municipal facilities or classrooms is included."

She added that oncological or medical reasons are excluded. It responds to "the will of the council to guarantee security in public facilities and the rights of all citizens."

The mayor advocated for a "neutral environment free of visible manifestations of beliefs that violate the basic rights of people, as the misogynistic and essentialist Islamic veil does."

Obstacles to Its Approval

The proposed modification will now have to be voted on and approved by a simple majority in the municipal plenary session. In this regard, it will face two major obstacles to materialize.

One, the opposition of groups like ERC, whose councilor has warned that the proposal "violates legal and international precepts."

Secondly, the case law of the Supreme Court that already struck down a similar proposal made in Lérida in 2013. The high court then ruled that local administrations do not have the authority to ban the Islamic veil, which is interpreted as a limitation of the essential right to religious freedom.

In Spain, there is a legal vacuum on this issue. However, the courts have ruled against it in places where it has been attempted to be banned. The situation is very different in other countries like France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Austria, Germany, and Switzerland.

Orriols Opens Pandora's Box

So far, Aliança Catalana has been very adept at breaking taboos in Catalan society. Now it opens Pandora's box of the Islamic veil. The debate goes beyond the garment and impacts the integration of Islamic immigration and its compatibility or not with Western values.

The Orriolists emphasize the misogynistic nature of the Islamic veil and the submission of women as an intrinsic feature of the Islamic faith. They also argue that Islam is not just a religion but a political doctrine incompatible with Western civilization.

Their detractors accuse them of being Islamophobic and appeal to religious freedom as a sacred right that must be protected above all. The most extreme deny that it is an imposition. They claim it is a personal choice of women, as another cultural trait of their identity.