A victory for common sense me thinks..........
By Ahmed Al-Matboli, IOL Staff
BERLIN, March 24, 2005 (IslamOnline.net) – The legislatures in two German states have turned down proposals by the opposition Christian Democratic Party to ban Muslim school teachers from wearing hijab.
The parliament of Nordrhein-Westfalen, western Germany, rejected the party’s request as having no legal merit.
The Christian Democratic party claimed that hijab places woman at a lower status and was a political symbol not entrenched in the Muslims’ holy book, the Noble Qur’an.
Thomas Kufen, the party’s immigration affairs officer, alleged that disputes could emerge in schools over the issue of hijab and that a legislation was needed.
The party, yet, said nuns should be exempted for any ban on religious dress codes.
The Socialist and the Green parties, the ruling coalition, as well as the Free Democratic Party had opposed the proposals.
They particularly took issue at the Christian Democratic Party’s attempt to exempt nuns’ wear from the ban as a violation of the constitution which demands equal treatment for citizens irrespective of their religious affiliations.
Islam sees hijab as an obligatory code of dress, not a religious symbol displaying one’s affiliations – unlike the symbolic Christian crucifixes or Jewish Kappas.
Hindering Integration
The parliament of the south-western state of Reinland-Pfalz also turned down a proposal by Christian Democratic Party leader Christoph Bohr to ban hijab.
The Socialist, Green and Free Democratic parties have voted against the motion, accusing the party of religious discrimination.
Doris Ahnen, the education minister of Reinland-Pfalz, condemned the ban request, saying it would obstruct the integration of Muslim women into society.
The education affairs official in the Green Party, Nils Fichmann, also opened fire on the Christian Democratic Party, whose leaders had described hijab-clad women as “enemies of the constitution”.
The Green party is the only political party that rejects the hijab ban in principle.
Sylvia Lohrmann, the leader of the party’s parliamentary bloc, stressed that the issue should not even be open to discussion.
The Free Democrats, however, rejected the hijab ban because it should have also include the head gear of nuns in order to avoid any discrimination.
Germany's highest tribunal, the constitutional court, ruled in 2003 that Baden-Wuerttemberg was wrong to forbid a Muslim teacher from wearing hijab in the classroom.
But it said Germany's 16 regional states could issue new legislations to ban it if they believe hijab would influence children.
The states of Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Sachsen, Sachsen-Anhalt and Thuringen still allow teachers to wear hijab.
In addition to Baden-Wuerttemberg, the states of Saarland and Niedersachsen ban teachers from showing any religious or political affiliation, including hijab.
Another state, Hessen, made amendments to its school laws, banning teachers from wearing any symbols of religious or political nature while allowing them a limited right to put on Christian or western symbols.
In Bavaria, laws were enforced in 2004 banning teachers from wearing religious symbols that are not harmonious with Christian cultural values.
The state of Brandenburg made the same amendments in 2003.
For Now
IOL’s Correspondent cautions that the parliaments’ rejection of the hijab ban proposal might only be temporary and the controversy could surface again.
Nordrhein-Westfalen’s Education Minister Ute Schafer, of the Socialist Party, told parliament members on March 17 that the number of hijab-clad teachers was very few and the issue should not be raised “at present”.
Dorothee Danner, a Socialist lawmaker, said her colleagues remain divided on the broader issue of hijab in schools.
Some of the party’s MPs support a ban on hijab, while others believe the issue should not be addressed “now”.
Danner, however, expected the issue to be raised again in the coming legislative session.
A recent report by the International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights (IHF) unveiled that Muslim minorities across Europe have been experiencing growing distrust, hostility and discrimination since the 9/11 attacks.
Muslim organizations have reported that discrimination against Muslim women wearing hijab peaked since September 11, the report said.
http://www.islamonline.net/English/N...rticle07.shtml
A victory for common sense me thinks..........
CAIRO, September 10, 2005 (IslamOnline.net) – The liberal youth organization in the German state of North Rhine, JULIS, has called for promoting the values of tolerance and diversity in society by dealing with hijab as an everyday life reality.
Seeing tolerance as the key to peaceful coexistence in society, JULIS stressed that veiled women should be treated as part and parcel of society.
It said, on its Web site, that everyone is entitled to his/her own choices as long as that does not violate the country's constitution.
Among the organization's goals is allowing legal foreign residents to work in the country, grant them the right to vote and participate in the political life.
JULIS also seeks to help foreigners better integrate into society and quickly learn the German language.
The organization boasts 10,000 members, whose ages range between 14 and 35 years representing all sectors of society, including foreigners.
Islam comes third in Germany after Protestant and Catholic Christianity.
There are some 3.4 million Muslims in the country, including 220,000 in Berlin, and Turks make up an estimated two thirds of the Muslim minority.
Anti-Hijab Party
JULIS is an affiliate of the Free Democratic Party (FDP), which adopts a strict position on hijab.
Arguing that the Muslim dress code is rather a religious symbol, the party backs banning school teachers from wearing hijab.
The FDP has not yet commented on JULIS's pro-hijab call.
Last week, the party's education affairs spokesman in the North Rhine, Ralph Fizel, backed plans to ban hijab in state schools.
North Rhine Schools Minister Barbara Sommer said late in August that Muslim teachers will be banned from wearing hijab at schools from next summer.
"Female and male teachers are not allowed to express any world views or any religious beliefs, which could disturb or endanger the peace at school," she said.
"That's why we want to forbid (female) Muslim teachers at state schools from wearing headscarves."
North Rhine - the largest German state - seeks to impose an all-out hijab ban in schools, a promise made by the Christian Democratic Party in the 2005 municipal election.
The issue of hijab ban in schools has triggered controversy in Germany.
In July 2003, the constitutional court, Germany's highest tribunal, ruled against a decision by the Baden-Wuerttemberg state to forbid a Muslim teacher from wearing hijab in the classroom.
But it said Germany's 16 regional states could issue new legislations to ban hijab if they believe it would influence children.
A number of states, including Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia, still allowed hijab at schools.
Others, including Baden-Wurttemberg, Saarland and Lower Saxony, ban teaching stuff in state schools from wearing symbols that express religious, political, or ideological affiliation, including hijab.
The state of Hessen has amended its school laws, banning teachers from wearing any symbols of religious or political nature while allowing them a limited right to put on Christian or western symbols.
In Bavaria, laws were enforced in 2004 banning teachers from wearing religious symbols that are not harmonious with Christian cultural values.
Islam sees hijab as an obligatory code of dress, not a religious symbol displaying one’s affiliations – unlike the symbolic Christian crucifixes or Jewish yarmulkes.
One day inshallah, they will lift up the ban. As a matter of fact it's worse in France right now due to the fact that even in schools women cannot wear hijab. Here in U.S , amazingly, it's surprising how here we can get away with wearing hijab in alot of the places. I just don't feel right, I feel like I'm being deprived of learning about Islam because there is a very small muslim population where I live.
Yes, Germans are a bit iffy wen it cums to weariong the hijab. When I went back to my birth place, passou....my mother wasnt sure about me wanting to wear the hijab bcz the family we were living with (italian christians)....hate seeing muslim women with hijabs.
I mean, wen I'd walk down the road, ppl wud luk @ me as though I were an alien from Mars.
I hope Allah removes the veil off their hearts and make them accept us women with hijabs as women with modesty and NOT opression.Ameen.
Allah ma3akum
format_quote Originally Posted by Ameeratul Layl
Yes, Germans are a bit iffy wen it cums to weariong the hijab. When I went back to my birth place, passou....my mother wasnt sure about me wanting to wear the hijab bcz the family we were living with (italian christians)....hate seeing muslim women with hijabs.
I mean, wen I'd walk down the road, ppl wud luk @ me as though I were an alien from Mars.
I hope Allah removes the veil off their hearts and make them accept us women with hijabs as women with modesty and NOT opression.Ameen.
Allah ma3akum
salam sis the prophet muhammed did say that islam began as something strange and will end as something strange so when these people look at you, me and all other muslims that have beards and hijabs thinking we are strange that is good and should always remind us of who we are.......
( strange=in arabic ghareeb)
meknesi :brother:
pbuh
format_quote Originally Posted by meknesi
Adri ya akhee. I understand wat u are saying and I totally agree. Which was why, when thses ppl stared at me I just smiled back to say:'Im proud of myself.'
Allah ma3ak ya akhee. :coolsis:
salam
mashallah positive attitude, thats the way it should be inshallah
wasalam
format_quote Originally Posted by Ameeratul Layl
Adri ya akhee. I understand wat u are saying and I totally agree. Which was why, when thses ppl stared at me I just smiled back to say:'Im proud of myself.'
Allah ma3ak ya akhee. :coolsis:
alhamdullilah sis you show em :brother:
Why does it feel like they will ban the hijab later on in future? These kaafir governments, they all copy each other! Next it'll be britain (where I live) God forbid. It's like some bloody competition, who can opress the muslims more.... Allah be with us!
Alhamdulillah, some people are getting some sense
salam
next thinh you know all the kuffar contries will ban islamic clothes, lets all hope not inshallah
wasalam
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