Finnish minister under fire over comment on niqab

Finland’s Minister of Social Security, Sanni Grahn-Laasonen (NCP), has been criticised for saying face coverings such as burqas and niqabs are inappropriate at Finnish schools. The head of the Muslim Forum of Finland says the discussion is overblown. Since the start of the school year, Muslim students’ headscarves have become a political topic of conversation […]

Finland’s Minister of Social Security, Sanni Grahn-Laasonen (NCP), has been criticised for saying face coverings such as burqas and niqabs are inappropriate at Finnish schools.

The head of the Muslim Forum of Finland says the discussion is overblown.

Since the start of the school year, Muslim students’ headscarves have become a political topic of conversation in Finland and it took a turn when Grahn-Laasonen (NCP) said in a social media post that the use of burqas and niqabs that cover the face are not suitable in Finnish schools.

Responding to the post, Secretary General of the Muslim Forum of Finland, Pia Jardi, said raising the issue of schoolchildren wearing face coverings seems silly in Finland.

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According to her, hardly anyone in Finland wears the burqa, and the discussion about the use of niqabs, especially in primary and secondary schools, seems exaggerated.

“I have never seen children wearing niqabs in Finland,” Jardi told Yle.

According to Jardi, raising the issue of headscarves that completely or almost completely cover the face could be a way to gradually push for a broader headscarf ban.

“That now we are talking about niqabs and burqas, and next we will go to headscarves, a bit like what happened in France,” said Jardi. 

There, visible religious symbols are banned in schools.

The Muslim Forum of Finland describes itself as an umbrella organisation whose purpose is to act as a cooperation network and discussion forum for Muslims.

Grahn-Laasonen justified her stance by saying that children should be allowed to be children and live freely in Finnish society. This is a question of equality and children’s rights, including interaction and safety, she wrote on X.

Jardi said wearing a headscarf is part of religious freedom, and in Finland there should therefore be the right to dress as one wants.

“Of course, no one should be forced to wear a headscarf. But the fact that we are starting to restrict this seems really bad and not at all egalitarian in Finland,” she said.

This summer, other ministers have also commented on the use of headscarves in schools. Last month, Finance Minister and Finns Party chair Riikka Purra commented on X that burkas, niqabs and headscarves for little girls should be banned completely, and that they should be banned at schools first.

Minister of Education Anders Adlercreutz (SPP), for his part, commented to Helsingin Sanomat in July that face-covering scarves in schools could be discussed from the perspectives of safety and identification, but that he does not support legislative action on the matter.

Laura Francke, a legal advisor specialised in children’s rights at the Finnish National Agency for Education, also said that scarves that cover all or nearly all of the face are very rare in Finnish comprehensive schools.

There is no legislation in Finland that prohibits the use of such headscarves.

“If there was a desire for such a ban, it would require a legislative change,” said Francke.

However, according to the National Agency for Education rules, schools can require students to dress appropriately for safety or hygiene reasons.

“If you go swimming, the swimwear must be suitable for swimming. Or, for example, in technical work, the clothing must be safe so that it does not get caught between machines, for example. Only these kinds of restrictions are possible,” explained Francke.

Interior Minister Mari Rantanen (Finns) told the daily Helsingin Sanomat on Wednesday that the ministry will begin investigating the veil ban. According to Rantanen, burqas and niqabs are not suitable for a Western, egalitarian country. She expressed the hope that such a ban would move forward during this government term, which is slated to end in 2027.