A 10-year-old second-generation North African-Italian girl was sent home from school in the northern city of Pordenone Friday after turning up in a niqab, the Islamic garment that covers everything but female eyes, local media reported Monday.
The girl returned the next day without the extremely veiled dress, il Messaggero Veneto reported.
The teacher had told her that she had to uncover her face in order to attend classes.
The anti-migrant League party said the incident was "unacceptable" and recalled that the niqab had been banned in public places in France and Belgium and even Egypt had banned it at school.
"One thing is religious freedom, another is religious fundamentalism imposed on innocent children," said the League chief in the surrounding Friuli region, Marco Dreosto.
He said Italy, too, should ban the Islamic veil in public "after this and other recent cases".
Members of the Pordenone Islamic community said the case was "probably due to a misunderstanding" on the part of the family since "our religion reminds us that that type of head covering must only be worn when you are older".
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
