Telegraaf reports that a tram conductor has been suspended for wearing a cross, though the headscarf is permitted for Muslim employees. The conductor, Ezzat Aziz, is seeking a summary injunction against the transit authority GVB for discrimination. GVB defends the move, explaining that it “has had a new uniform for a year. To ensure a…
A recruiting campaign by the Dutch government aimed at attracting young workers will picture a veiled Muslim woman with the slogan “working for the government, if you think ahead”. The image is juxtaposed with a photo of a woman with a lip piercing, alongside a series of other supposedly contrasting images including a construction site…
Renowned French-Algerian writer Malika Mokeddem has stated that she opposes the Italian government’s move to introduce separate classes for immigrant children, saying that it would ghettoize them, and “gives the children a bad self-image” in addition to sending a negative image of Italy. Mokkedem said that the children need to integrate, and do so not…
The Molenbeek, the heavily Muslim and immigrant neighborhood of Brussels, is facing a changing image. While many have previously considered Molenbeek a place to be avoided because of an image of crime and foreigners, many are praising the neighborhood as a success story. Local mayor Philippe Moureaux said that the area is a positive model…
Anne-Marie Lizin of the Walloon Socialist party is acting against state subsidies for “virginity operations.” The senator proposed a law requesting that hymen reconstruction operations no longer be reimbursed by the national RIVIZ health insurance. The so-called “virginity operations” have been popular among the Muslim and immigrant community in Belgium, for women seeking to torn…
