AIMIM national spokesperson Waris Pathan has criticised Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni over her government’s proposal to restrict the wearing of face-covering veils such as the burqa and niqab in schools.
While speaking to reporters, Pathan made controversial remarks about Meloni and women’s clothing. He claimed that the Italian prime minister was opposed to the burqa and niqab while being more comfortable with women wearing revealing clothes in public.
His comments came after Meloni announced plans for new rules covering face-covering veils in Italian schools as part of a wider package focused on education, immigration and integration.
What Waris Pathan said
Pathan strongly objected to Meloni’s proposed restrictions and questioned the reasoning behind them.
He said Meloni was more interested in women wearing “bras, panties and bikinis” and alleged that she preferred revealing clothing over women wearing burqas or niqabs.
Pathan also described the proposed restrictions as “absolutely shameless” and accused the Italian leader of having a particular view about how women should dress.
His remarks have drawn attention because of the personal references to Meloni and the language he used while criticising her government’s policy.
What has Giorgia Meloni proposed?
Meloni announced the proposed school measures during a youth event organised by the youth wing of her Brothers of Italy party in Rome.
The Italian government plans to bring legislation before the Council of Ministers that would prohibit face-covering garments, including the burqa and niqab, in schools.
The proposal has not yet become law. It will have to go through the Italian government’s legislative process before any restrictions can take effect.
Why is Italy bringing the proposal?
Meloni has linked the proposed changes to the issue of integration in Italian schools.
Her government is also proposing a limit on the number of foreign students who can be placed in a classroom. The exact limit has not yet been announced.
Another part of the plan would require some parents of foreign students facing serious difficulties integrating into the Italian school system to learn Italian.
Meloni has argued that students should be able to integrate into Italian society and that the school system should ensure that Italian children do not feel like a minority in their own classrooms.
Burqa, niqab and hijab: What is the difference?
The proposed restrictions specifically concern clothing that covers the face.
A burqa covers the body and includes a covering over the face and eyes.
A niqab covers the face while leaving the area around the eyes visible.
A hijab generally covers the hair and neck but leaves the face visible.
The Italian government’s current proposal has focused on face-covering garments such as the burqa and niqab in schools. Reports have differed in describing the scope of the proposal, so the final legislation will be important in determining exactly what is prohibited.
Wider changes proposed for Italian schools
The face-covering proposal is only one part of Meloni’s broader plan.
The government is also looking at how many foreign students can study in the same classroom and whether parents of students struggling to integrate should be required to learn Italian.
Italy already has rules concerning the proportion of non-Italian pupils in schools, but the government is now looking at putting limits into a new legal framework.
The proposals have also attracted criticism in Italy, with opponents questioning how some of the measures would work in practice. School leaders and legal experts have raised concerns about implementation and their impact on education and integration.
Pathan’s comments add a political controversy
The debate over Italy’s proposed school rules has now also become a subject of political discussion in India following Pathan’s remarks.
While Pathan criticised the proposed restrictions on religious clothing, his comments went beyond the policy itself and included personal references to Meloni and women’s clothing.
The Italian government’s proposal is still at the legislative stage, meaning the final rules and their exact scope could change before they become law.
For now, the controversy involves two separate issues: Italy’s proposed restrictions on face-covering veils in schools and Pathan’s public criticism of Meloni over those plans.
