A ban on religious symbols such as headscarves “may be justified by the employer’s need to present a neutral image towards customers or to prevent social disputes”, the European Court of Justice said in a statement. The employer must also show it is not discriminating between different beliefs and religions in its policy, the court said. The two women, a cashier in a chemist and a special needs carer, had taken their cases to German courts after being prohibited from wearing headscarves at work. READ ALSO: IN NUMBERS: A breakdown of Germany’s Muslim populationThe German courts had then referred the cases to the ECJ for an interpretation of EU law. READ ALSO: Germany upholds headscarf ban for trainee Muslim lawyersAfter returning from parental leave, she refused to remove the headscarf, which resulted in several warnings and eventually in her being dismissed.

Source: The Local July 15, 2021 11:45 UTC