EU top Court rules Hijab can be banned at work, says ban not discriminatory and unlawful

Amid the ongoing controversy around the mandatory Hijab in Iran and the ban on it in schools in Karnataka, the European Union’s (EU) top court on 13^th October said that corporations and businesses may restrict the wearing of Hijabs or headscarves as long as it is part of a broader prohibition. The Court was hearing a case relating to a Muslim woman who was notified that she could not wear a Hijab when she applied for a six-week work internship at a Belgian company.

The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) maintained that a general prohibition on a headscarf is not discriminatory against workers on religious grounds and does not violate EU law. According to reports, the woman said that she was not allowed to wear a Hijab when she applied for internship.

European Union’s top court rules hijab can be banned at work, says ban not discriminatory and unlawful if it is part of a broader prohibitionhttps://t.co/9KUQpxcA0A

— OpIndia.com (@OpIndia_com) October 14, 2022

Notably, last year, the CJEU had ruled that EU companies could prohibit their employees from wearing headscarves under specific situations if they were required to portray a neutral image to clients. There are many countries including France, Germany and Netherlands who have imposed ban on Hijab in public places or in schools and other educational institutions. (Religious fanatics first enter a country ‘begging’ for political asylum, and then start ‘demanding’ religious rights ! – Editor)