Gender Issues and the Hijab/Burqa
Lawsuits brought against NYC for forcing arrested Muslim women remove hijabs spark debates about religious freedom
Lawsuits brought against New York City by several Muslim women in the last few months, which claim their constitutional rights were violated when they were forced to remove their hijabs while in police custody, have raised debates about measures to protect religious freedom in public and private institutions.
Action must be taken to combat gendered, ethno-racial, and religious discrimination against British women, says Mend
In a statement for International Women’s Day, Mend calls attention to the gendered, ethno-racial, and religious discrimination faced by British women from minority groups. Studies show that Muslim women are significantly disadvantaged in participating in economic activity and gaining employment in the UK.
UK government’s ‘Integrated Communities Strategy’ draws criticism for its emphasis on minority communities and its ignorance of the effect of spending cuts
The ‘Integrated Communities Strategy’ green paper sets out “an ambitious long-term plan of action to tackle the root causes of poor integration and create a stronger, more united Britain”. It has invited submissions on this subject to its official consultation, which is running over the next twelve weeks. The paper has drawn criticism for its emphasis on minority communities, and ignorance of how spending cuts have hampered strategies already in place to achieve the paper’s proposed aims.
Bavarian court upholds hijab ban in the judiciary
Germany’s long-running judicial wrangling over the ability of Muslim women to wear the hijab in public employment has been enriched by a further episode. The Bavarian Administrative Court in Munich decreed that prohibitions banning court personnel from wearing the Islamic headcovering were permissible. Decisions based on formal criteria The case concerns a legal trainee who,…
Founder of ‘liberal’ mosque in Berlin sparks ridicule with comments on the hijab
Seyran Ateş, controversial founder of an avowedly ‘liberal’, gender-equal mosque in Berlin at which she serves as female Imam, has been faced with disbelief at her most recent comments on the Muslim headscarf. Women’s rights lawyer turned to the religious field Ateş made a name for herself in the 1990s as a lawyer defending women’s…