Government Offices in EU Can Ban Wearing of Religious Symbols, Court Rules

GUARDIAN EUROPE: Decision made in case of Muslim employee in Belgium states that restrictions must be applied equally

The court said bans on religious symbols, such as Islamic headscarves, were permissible in order to enforce an ‘entirely neutral administrative environment’. Photograph: Martin Argles/The Guardian
Government offices across the EU can ban employees from wearing religious symbols, such as Islamic headscarves, in the interest of neutrality, the EU’s top court has ruled, though it stressed that such restrictions must be applied equally to all employees and fit within the legal context of each member state.

The decision, published by the court of justice of the European Union on Tuesday, said such bans were permissible in order to enforce an “entirely neutral administrative environment”.

However, the court said that bans on clothing or symbols linked to philosophical or religious beliefs had to be applied evenly. “Such a rule is not discriminatory if it is applied in a general and indiscriminate manner to all of that administration’s staff and is limited to what is strictly necessary,” it said. » | Ashifa Kassam, European community affairs correspondent | Wednesday, November 29, 2023

Free the West of hijabs! The wearing of hijabs is not the Western way. Period! – © Mark Alexander

'Gender Apartheid' in Iran: Hijab Laws, Protests & Revolution in 2023 | Explained

Sep 28, 2023 | The parliament in Iran has just passed new hijab laws that could see women jailed for up to 10 years for dressing inappropriately. These laws have been labelled "a form of gender apartheid" by UN experts and described as a "a despicable assault on the rights of women" by Amnesty International. …

Iran's Protests and Activism Four Weeks on from Mahsa Amini's Death - BBC News

Topple the reactionary bastards! Throw the concept of a ‘mullocracy’ into the dustbin of history, where it belongs; and put the mullahs out to graze! – © Mark Alexander

Authorities in Iran Forced to Remove Poster of Women in Hijabs after PR Fiasco

THE GUARDIAN: Montage in Tehran taken down within 24 hours after prominent women and relatives denounce use of their photos

At least three of the women pictured in the Tehran billboard objected to their image being misused, including the actor Fatemeh Motamed-Arya. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images
The Iranian authorities suffered a PR fiasco after being forced to take down a giant billboard in a central square in Tehran when women in the poster, or their relatives, objected to being depicted as supporters of the government and the compulsory-wearing of the hijab.

The billboard controlled by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps was a montage of about 50 Iranian women wearing the hijab under the slogan “Women of my Land”. It was taken down within 24 hours after at least three of the women pictured said they objected to their image being misused.

Fatemeh Motamed-Arya, a multiaward-winning actor was the first to protest, releasing a video. Not wearing the hijab, she said: “I am not considered a woman in a land where young children, little girls and freedom-loving youths are killed in its fields.” » | Patrick Wintour, Diplomatic editor | Friday, October 14, 2022

Ladies: Have courage! Take those hijabs, those unsightly, mediaeval rags, to the public square and set fire to them. The damn lot of them! Liberate yourselves from the oppression of those reactionary old fogies. Choose vitamin D over darkness and shade! Your health will thank you for it. And, whilst you're at it, restore the Peacosk Throne and bring back the Shah. Reject mediaeval thinking! Choose modernity! – © Mark Alexander

Iran: Woman Arrested for Having Breakfast without Wearing Hijab

FIRST POST: Even as anti-hijab protests continued in Iran and spread to Afghanistan, an Iranian woman named Donya Rad was arrested for having breakfast without wearing a hijab on Friday.

Donya Rad was arrested for having breakfast without wearing a hijab. Image Courtesy: @AlinejadMasih
New Delhi: Even as anti-hijab protests continued in Iran and spread to Afghanistan, an Iranian woman named Donya Rad was arrested for having breakfast without wearing a hijab on Friday.

The information was shared on Twitter by Iranian journalist and activist Masih Alinejad whose post read, “The woman who posted this photo got arrested for the crime of having breakfast without hijab! This is the horrific story of being a woman in Iran in 21st century.”

“Her name is Donya Rad. Women will continue their civil disobedience every day,” her post added. » | FP Staff | Friday, September 30, 2022

Women Burn Hijabs in Iran as Protests Escalate over Killing of Mahsa Amini by "Morality Police"

Protests in Iran continue after the death of a 22-year-old Kurdish woman in custody of the so-called morality police. Mahsa Amini died last week after being detained for allegedly leaving some of her hair visible in violation of an Iranian law requiring women to cover their heads. Witnesses said Amini was severely beaten by police, but authorities claim she died of natural causes. Thousands of people, often led by young women, have taken to the streets in outrage over Amini's death, chanting slogans against the morality police and the government, with some burning their headscarves in a show of defiance. "This anger against the morality police and the violence they are committing on the streets has been building up for years," says Iranian American journalist Negar Mortazavi.

New Army Policy Allows Turbans, Hijabs and Beards

Lauren Green reports on how the rules are changing

Bill Warner, PhD: The Political Side of Hijabs

Most people see the hijab as religious or cultural, but the hijab is a symbol of the Sharia and has a very political meaning.

Canada: Muslim ‘Mounties’ Allowed to Wear Hijabs on Duty

JIHAD WATCH: Justin Trudeau’s Canada sure has some interesting priorities. While women living in Islamic countries are frequently beaten or killed for not covering up properly, the West is busy fighting to incorporate Islam into every aspect of public society. Allowing the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to wear hijabs does not affect the vast majority of Canadians; however, it is representative of the Sharia normalization movement, which is trying to force its way into the lives of ordinary citizens. » | Blain Tamarin | Thursday, August 25, 2016

The Unknown: Devastating Coverage of a Hijab-Wearing American Fencer

Why, as a woman who escaped Sharia, it shatters my heart to see what the American media is celebrating.

John Lewis's New Line, Hijabs to Wear at School: Department Store Signs Contract with Schools in London and Liverpool to Offer Conservative Islamic Clothing

MAIL ONLINE: John Lewis is offering hijab in school uniform department for the first time / Headdress is to be sold in the company's stores in London and Liverpool / Retailer signed contracts with two schools, including Islamia Girls' School / Hijab covers head and chest and is worn by Muslim women after puberty

John Lewis is offering the hijab in its school uniform department for the first time.

The headdress is to be sold in the company’s stores in London and Liverpool after it signed contracts with two schools – one which was set up to educate Muslim girls and a second that welcomes pupils from all religious communities.

The hijab covers the head and chest and is worn by Muslim women after the onset of puberty as a sign of modesty in the presence of men who are outside their immediate family.

It is different from the niqab, which is a full face veil and has proved divisive in schools and public life, for example if wearers are giving evidence in court.

There has been controversy over whether it is right for girls attending state schools to wear religious dress rather than the standard uniform.

But the fact that a mainstream retailer is starting to stock the hijab alongside blazers and blouses is likely to be welcomed as a breakthrough by Muslim parents who have so far had to rely on specialist shops. » | Sean Poulter, Consumer Affairs Editor | Saturday, August 16, 2014

Iranian Women Who Posted Photos Without Hijabs Face Conservative Backlash

Picture of women posing without their hijabs posted on the Facebook page 

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Women who posted pictures of themselves without their hijabs on in the strict Islamic Republic are facing a growing online backlash

Iranian women who posted pictures online of themselves with their hair uncovered are facing a growing backlash from conservative sections of the Islamic Republic.

Dozens of women posted photos of themselves on a Facebook page flouting the Islamic dress code in parks, at the seaside and in the streets.

The My Stealthy Freedom group was set up by London-based Iranian journalist Masih Alinejad with the aim of sparking debate on whether women should have the right to choose what to wear.

Within the first two days of its creation, 30,000 women posted photos of themselves.

“This is Iran… The feeling of the wind blowing through every strand of hair, is a girl’s biggest dream,” the caption on the page read.

Ms Alinejad was inundated with international messages of support, but the reaction at home has been less positive. » | Josie Ensor | Friday, May 23, 2014

Iranian Women Post Pictures of Themselves without Hijabs on Facebook

THE GUARDIAN: Campaign set up by London-based Iranian journalist Masih Alinejad attracts more than 130,000 likes on social media site

Thousands of Iranian women are taking off their veils and publishing pictures of themselves online, igniting a debate about the freedom to wear or not wear the hijab.

A Facebook page set up by London-based Iranian journalist Masih Alinejad 10 days ago has attracted more than 130,000 likes, with women across Iran sending unveiled pictures taken in parks, at the seaside and in the streets.

"My stealthy freedom while driving in the streets of Tehran," wrote Maryam alongside an image showing her behind the wheel. "I like to feel the wind blowing on my face." » | Saeed Kamali Dehghan | Monday, Monday 12, 2014

I Was Told I'd Have to Wear a Hijab, I said 'I Don't Think So': Today Programme's First Muslim Presenter on Why She Won't Wear the Veil

Mishal Husain

MAIL ONLINE: Mishal Husain, 40, was told to cover her face by Muslim train passenger / She is the first Muslim to present BBC Radio 4's Today programme / Cambridge-educated journalist said Koran didn't order women to wear garment / Comments reignite row about wearing of the veil in British society / PM David Cameron last month backed a ban on the garment in schools / Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said he would not want to be treated by a medic wearing a veil

The first Muslim journalist to present Radio 4’s flagship current affairs programme has vowed never to wear a veil.

Mishal Husain - who joined the Today programme this morning - recalled the moment she was accosted by a fellow Muslim while boarding a train who told her she will soon have to adopt the face covering hijab.

She said: ‘He complimented me on my work and then said, “But you’ll have to wear a hijab one day.” “I don’t think so,” I replied.’

The Cambridge-educated journalist, 40, is the latest high-profile public figure to intervene in the debate about whether the veil is an acceptable item of clothing in Britain. » | Tom Gardner | Monday, October 07, 2013

Non-Muslim Teachers ‘Forced to Wear Veil’ at Faith School

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Female teachers at a state funded Muslim school have been ordered to cover their heads with Islamic scarves during school hours even if they are not Muslim, it has been claimed.

Staff at Al-Madinah School, in Derbyshire, say that they have been told to sign new contracts agreeing to wear hijabs and make girls sit at the back of classes.

The Muslim faith school, which caters for 200 students aged four to 16, also forbids the teachers from bringing in non-Halal food or wearing unacceptable jewellery, it is claimed.

Non-Asian staff have been seen removing the headgear immediately when leaving the building, but refused to reveal the extent of the school's demands.

Nick Raine, regional NUT officer, said: "We are very worried about the school and the education of the 200 children there.

"It's one thing to have a dress code which we can challenge and quite another to build it into a contract.

"The school is publicly accountable so there needs to be greater transparency." Read on and comment » | Hayley Dixon | Friday, September 20, 2013

My comment:

Imagine what it's going to be like in this country once Muslims hold the whip hand! – © Mark

This comment appears here too.

Ann Coulter: Bombing Suspect's Wife Should Be Jailed For Wearing Hijab

Hijab Brought Me to Islam: Jessica
MUSLIM MIRROR: Jessica Rhodes is a 21 year old female from Norwich, UK who works as a telesales consultant and is also a student. She was a Pagan before reverting to Islam a month ago.

She was born in 1991 and was adopted in 1993. Grew up in a small seaside town on the south east coast of England, she went to university at 19 to study for a degree in Music and she hopes to do postgraduate qualifications in counselling starting September 2013.

She has an amazing story of her reversion and how she got attracted to Islam. New York based lady Nazma Khan started a campaign known as ‘world hijab day’. The movement has been organised almost solely over social networking sites. It has attracted interest from Muslims and non-Muslims in more than 50 countries across the world. For many people, the hijab is a symbol of oppression and divisiveness. It’s a visible target that often bears the brunt of a larger debate about Islam in the West. World Hijab Day is designed to counteract these controversies. It encourages non-Muslim women (or even Muslim women who do not ordinarily wear one) to don the hijab and experience what it’s like to do so, as part of a bid to foster better understanding.

It was social networking that got Jessica Rhodes involved. Her friend Widyan Al Ubudy lives in Australia and asked her Facebook friends to participate. Jessica who was a non-Muslim decided to participate in the world hijab day. She says: “I took part in the first World Hijab Day and challenged myself to wear the hijab for a month. I then began reading the Quran and the words in the Quran seemed logical and clear, rather than in the Bible where they tend to waffle. I also did some research into Islam as a whole and felt that it was an inclusive religion that could give me the answers I was looking for”. Although her parents were little apprehensive, if it was a good idea or she may be attacked in the streets because of non-tolerance. » | Imaan Ali for Muslim Mirror | Sunday, March 31, 2013

“Hijab or Hell,” Say Egypt Salafists in Alexandria
BIKYA NEWS: Egyptian female students are now faced with threats of “going to Hell” if they continue to wear pants at an Alexandria university, north of Cairo, the New Women Foundation reported, citing a news article published by al-Youm al-Saba’a online website.

Female students were surprised to see threatening literature calling on them to abandon the “manly” look and go back to a more “Islamic way of dress.”

Although the majority of Egyptian women wear the head scarf, ultra-conservatives still complain about women’s attire and try, at every available chance, to limit women’s freedom in the country.

“Know women that it is either the hijab or Hell. Why do you refuse your God’s orders?” read one pamphlet. » | Manar Ammar | Sunday, March 31, 2013

New Hijab Controversies Looming in Europe
GATESTONE INSTITUTE: A member of the Kuwaiti delegation of the UN Human Rights Council, Malik Al-Wazzan, said France should revoke the ban [on full-face Islamic veils] to "protect the human rights in discrimination and inequalities toward foreigners and those with different beliefs." This comes as the Kuwaiti Parliament considers a draft law banning the construction of churches.

The Belgian branch of the popular Dutch department store chain HEMA has lost a wrongful termination lawsuit filed by a Muslim shop assistant whose contract was not extended after she refused to stop wearing a hijab, the traditional Islamic headscarf.

The woman had worked for the store in Belgian city of Genk for two months while wearing a headscarf, but after the store manager received complaints from customers, was then asked to remove it.

The woman, a Belgian convert to Islam, had been employed as temporary sales staff; HEMA declined to renew her contract because, its representatives said, of her refusal to remove her hijab.

In its defense, representatives of the Belgian shop said that to maintain the "neutral and discreet image of HEMA, the shop did not want employees wearing any kind of religious symbols." The store then offered the woman a job in its warehouse, where she would not have direct contact with clients. She said the alternative job offer was unsatisfactory and then consulted a lawyer.

On January 2, a labor court in the nearby Belgian city of Tongeren ruled that HEMA did not have a clearly stated policy on headscarves and thus had no valid reason to dismiss the woman.

The court ordered HEMA to pay the 21-year-old woman €9,000 ($12,000), the equivalent of six month's salary, as compensation. » | Soeren Kern | Friday, February 01, 2013

Kosovo Orders Ban on Headscarves in Schools
Kosovo is one of Europe's majority Muslim countries, but now an administrative order has been issued banning the wearing of headscarves in schools. When one student refused to remove her headscarf, she was expelled. Al Jazeera's Paul Brennan reports.