Employers across Europe can now ban workers from wearing visible religions symbols including the Islamic headscarf, the European Union’s top court ruled on Tuesday, finding it would not constitute “direct discrimination.”
The ruling, seen as a victory for many in the political right wing, was the first of its kind amid a series of legal disputes surrounding women’s rights to wear a hijab at work.
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled that companies with legitimate reasons to project a neutral image could establish internal rules banning political, philosophical or religious symbols, saying the rule “does not constitute direct discrimination,” the Guardian reported.
“However, in the absence of such a rule, the willingness of an employer to take account of the wishes of a customer no longer to have the employer’s services provided by a worker wearing an Islamic headscarf cannot be considered an occupational requirement that could rule out discrimination,” the court said in a statement.
(AP)
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4 Responses
bad for the Jews! What’s next. Yamekah? Beard? Payus? Shatel/Tichel?
Note that this wasn’t limited to veils (face coverings). It included yarmulkes, wigs, and the various types of head coverings frum women wear. It probably also covers wearing a tallis with the any part of it not tucked in, and might even apply to wearing a kapote (frock coat).
This highlights the distinction between American’s concept of Freedom of Religion, and Europe’s “freedom from religion” (which, BTW is also advocated by much of the American “left”, but Baruch ha-Shem, they lost the last election).
This is not good for the Jews. Discuss.
Islamic headscarves covering the face is very dangerous and should be banned in all countries, including the US and Israel. It does not mean that the ban will include those scarves that do not cover the face and kipas.