Spanish Left Redefines ‘Freedom’: Hijab Encouraged in Schools
21st January 2026
report published by the Institute of Women, an agency under the Ministry of Equality, openly defends the wearing of the Islamic hijab in classrooms and goes a step further by publicly naming schools that have limited or banned it.
The document, “‘Hands Off That!’: Discrimination Against Young Muslim Women Wearing the Hijab in the Education System,” presents these restrictions not as neutral disciplinary decisions, but as cases of institutional discrimination. According to the report, opposition to the hijab is rooted in “Islamophobia,” described as a form of cultural racism that targets Muslims—or those perceived to be Muslim—within Spain’s education system.
The report directly challenges long-standing justifications used by schools, including uniform policies, common dress codes, and the preservation of a neutral learning environment. These arguments, it claims, are selectively applied and disproportionately affect Muslim girls.