Court of Justice rules that workplace bans on political, philosophical or religious symbols are not discriminatory.
by Al Jazeera
Employers are permitted to ban staff from wearing visible religious symbols, the European Union’s top court ruled on Tuesday – its first decision on the issue of women wearing hijabs at work.
The ECJ gave a joined judgment in the cases of two women, in France and Belgium, who were dismissed for refusing to remove hijabs. The hijab is a headscarf worn by many Muslim women who feel it is part of their religion.
“An internal rule of an undertaking which prohibits the visible wearing of any political, philosophical or religious sign does not constitute direct discrimination,” the EU’s Court of Justice (ECJ) said in a statement.
The ruling comes on the eve of a Dutch election in which Muslim immigration has been a key issue and a bellwether for attitudes towards migration and refugee policies across Europe.
