German court upheld a ban on female Muslim teachers wearing the Islamic headscarf, or Hijab, in state schools under a law stipulating that teachers’ attire must be in line with “Christian Western” values.
A Berlin-based Islamic association had protested the law, which authorities in the conservative-run state of Bavaria have used to ban Muslim teachers from wearing the Hijab while allowing Roman Catholic nuns to wear their head coverings in schools.
The law effectively blocks any religious expression in schools that could be deemed incompatible with constitutional, “Christian and Western'' values, according to a statement on the Web site of the Bavarian Constitutional Court.
The court said in its ruling on Monday that the Hijab ban neither violated religious freedom nor was discriminatory.
It also ruled that veiled Muslim teachers are not in a position to “mediate and embody constitutional educational goals, particularly the equal treatment of men and woman”.
According to the ruling, a nun wearing a head covering isn’t in violation of the law, because such vestments represent “Christian and Western'' values.
Judge Karl Huber said that the Bavarian state law did not favor the Christian faith, saying that the religious feelings of students and parents must be considered because teachers must transmit the values of the constitution.
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