European Companies May Ban The Hijab At Workplaces

The European Union’s top court has recently ruled that employers may forbid the wearing of headscarves because it is a visible symbol of religious or political beliefs. The court said that, “A prohibition on wearing any visible form of expression of political, philosophical or religious beliefs in the workplace may be justified by the employer’s need to present a neutral image towards customers or to prevent social disputes.”
The case was brought to the Luxembourg-based court by two women in Germany who were suspended from their jobs after they started wearing the hijab, a head covering worn by many Muslim women who feel it is part of their faith. Both Muslim women – a special needs teacher at a childcare center in Hamburg run by a charitable association, and a cashier at the Mueller pharmacy chain were told by their respective employers that this was not allowed, and / were either suspended or told to come to work without it or put on a different job, court documents show. More than five million Muslims live in Germany, making them the largest religious minority group of the nation. Hijab bans for Muslim women at work and schools have been a distressing debate in Germany for years.
The decision not only increased the concern of freedom of European Muslim women but also disclosed the EU’s open discrimination against one religious minority. For the past few decades anti Muslim attacks are on the rise. The United Nations Human Rights Council reported in March, 2021 that governments around the world, including the United States and China, should work unanimously to combat Islamophobia. The report also mentioned that Muslims are the most likely faith group facing religious discrimination.
On one hand the U.N. is trying to protect human rights of Muslims by reducing animosity against Muslims and condemning the critiques of Islam while on the other hand EU’s ruling is allowing discrimination against one religion which in turn is increasing the danger of the threats European Muslims are facing today. By allowing companies to ban their Muslim employees from wearing headscarves, the court is basically saying that Muslim women are not welcome in the job force of the country. It is beyond comprehension that the leaders of the international community are silent and not showing any reaction to this inequity.
Unfortunately, our leaders are trying to neutralize the society by promoting hate for each other and criticizing others based on their religion and identity. Prior to passing a national law, they should have asked Muslim women about their opinions on the importance of hijab which is a comforting honor for them since that frees them from the judgments of society based on their physical appearance and provides others the ability to see her more for her character rather than her looks.
To tie it all together, although the directors aim is to amalgamate the country into a unified society, by committing to the expense of restricting a minority's freedom through religious expression, they are not only setting a spark for conflict but are going against their very words and goals.