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Austrian president suggests all women may have to wear headscarves to fight Islamophobia

Austrian President-elect Alexander Van der Bellen leaves a news conference in Vienna, Austria, December 6, 2016. | Reuters/Heinz-Peter Bader

Austrian President Alexander Van Der Bellen has suggested that there may be a time when all women may have to wear headscarves out of solidarity with Muslims if rampant Islamophobia continues.

During a talk to students on Monday, Van der Bellen explained that he believes that a woman has a right to wear "whatever she wants," Russia Today reported. However, he went on to say that if rampant discrimination against Muslim continues, "the day will come when we have to ask all women to wear a headscarf – all – out of solidarity to those who do it for religious reasons."

His comments drew some backlash on social media, which prompted the Austrian president to defend his words in a Facebook post on Wednesday, in which he stated that women who wear headscarves are often subjected to "public hostility" in the country.

Van Der Bellen, who took office in January after he defeated anti-mass migration Freedom Party candidate Norbert Hofer in December's presidential election, has expressed support for abolishing national borders and creating a federal Europe, which he described as a "project of peace."

He called for equal treatment of all Austrians, whether "their families live here for generations or not...whether they love men or women, and whether they are men or women."

His victory has been welcomed by established European political parties, who were concerned about another populist victory following Donald Trump's win in the U.S. presidential elections.

However, Van Der Bellen has little influence over Austrian policy, as his role as president is mainly symbolic and ceremonial.

Earlier this year, Austria banned the burqa, niqab and other face-covering veils in public places as part of the new "integration law."

Around 3,000 Muslim women marched in Vienna under the slogan "MuslimBanAustria: My body - My right of self-determination!" to protest against the measure.

The "integration law" would also require refugees and migrants arriving in Austria to attend German language lessons and "value courses."

The controversial legislation has been criticized as a "sexist" and "anti-Muslim" measure that violates women's and general human rights.

The ban on Muslim face veils is expected to be implemented in Austria before the next parliamentary elections in 2018.

France became the first European country to officially ban the full-face veil in 2010. Similar measures are also implemented in Belgium and some parts of Switzerland.