EU Court Gives Employers the Power to Ban Islamic Headscarves

The EU’s high court ruled that in Europe, companies can ban their employees from wearing religious symbols, including an Islamic headscarf.

From The Blaze

In its first decision regarding the issue of Islamic women wearing hijabs to work, the European Court of Justice determined in its ruling that banning visible religious symbols was not considered discriminatory as long as it was prohibited in the company’s policies and procedures.

“An internal rule of an undertaking which prohibits the visible wearing of any political, philosophical or religious sign does not constitute direct discrimination,” the court said in its written decision.

But the court went on to clarify the ruling does not apply to circumstances in which customers ask that certain employees take off their headscarves if it is not the company’s policy to ban religious symbols.

“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,” it said.