Europe Top Court rules Hijab can be banned if part of general restrictions

Amid the ongoing controversy in India around the hijab ban in Karnataka educational institutions, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) ruled on Thursday that European Union (EU) companies can ban hijab if it is part of a broader ban on all headwear.

The EU top court said a general ban on headwear is not discriminatory against workers on religious grounds and did not break EU law.

WHAT IS THE CASE?

According to a report by Reuters, the case was brought to the CJEU's notice after a Muslim woman was told she could not wear a hijab when she applied for a six-week work traineeship at a company in Belgium. The company said it had a neutrality rule which meant head coverings of any kind -- hats, caps, or headscarves -- are not allowed.

A Belgian Court then referred the case to the CJEU for clarification on the EU law. The EU top court ruled that a general ban on headwear does not break EU law.

The Belgian Court must now decide whether the ban constitutes indirect discrimination.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the LatestLaws staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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