Religious freedom | EU court says hijabs could be banned in the workplace

A top European Union Court has ruled that member countries can restrict their employees from wearing signs of religious or ideological belief, including prohibiting women from wearing a religious headscarf.

The ruling came after an employee, who works as a head of office based in the municipality of Ans in Belgium, was told she wasn’t allowed to wear a hijab to work, resulting in her alleging that her employer had infringed on her religious freedom.

The municipality then amended its terms of employment, saying that employees must ‘observe neutrality’ by not wearing signs of religious or ideological belief. However, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) said that this neutrality must be implemented in a “consistent and systematic manner” and must be limited to what is necessary.

The wearing of a hijab and headscarf has been a contentious and debated subject in some European countries.