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A rule that expects every person to have the same outward appearance is not neutral, critics say (Photo: Valentina Pop)

EU court gives green light to headscarf bans

Two German firms were fine to ban Muslim women from wearing headscarves, the EU court has said, in a ruling which alarmed rights groups.

"A prohibition on wearing any visible form of expression of political, philosophical, or religious beliefs in the workplace may be justified by the employer's need to present a neutral image towards customers or to prevent social disputes," the court said in a ruling on Thursday (15 July).

A "neutral image" was a "legitimate aim", it noted, even ...

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Author Bio

Andrew Rettman is EUobserver's Foreign Affairs Editor. He has been writing about foreign and security affairs for EUobserver since 2005. He is Polish but grew up in the UK. He has also written for The Guardian, The Telegraph, and The Times of London.

A rule that expects every person to have the same outward appearance is not neutral, critics say (Photo: Valentina Pop)

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Author Bio

Andrew Rettman is EUobserver's Foreign Affairs Editor. He has been writing about foreign and security affairs for EUobserver since 2005. He is Polish but grew up in the UK. He has also written for The Guardian, The Telegraph, and The Times of London.

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