German State Court Upholds Headscarf Ban for Teachers

    A court in Germany’s most populous state of North Rhine-Westphalia has upheld a ban on female Muslim teachers wearing headscarves in schools. Wearing a headscarf violated a state regulation against religious symbols in public schools, the administrative court in the western city of D_sseldorf ruled on Tuesday. The case was brought by a 52-year-old secondary school teacher, who said she would appeal Tuesday’s ruling. The teacher had argued that her headscarf was a “fashion accessory _ la Grace Kelly” that was in line with Christian-Occidental values. The judges did not accept the argument, pointing out that since the teacher always wore the scarf, it was a symbol of her religous beliefs. Authorities in North Rhine-Westphalia imposed a ban on headscarves in June 2006.

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