Muslim Teachers May Wear Head Scarves, German Court Rules

BERLIN — The Federal Constitutional Court ruled on Friday that female Muslim teachers may wear head scarves in school.

The 6-to-2 ruling from the court in Karlsruhe stipulated that teachers may wear the head scarf so long as it does not cause disruption in the school.

The decision comes amid growing tensions throughout Europe over the absorption of thousands of Syrian refugees and other Muslims, stoking nationalism in many parts of the continent.

Several politicians and legal experts welcomed the ruling as an advance for religious and individual freedom. Leaders of Germany’s estimated 3.5 million Muslims noted that Muslim women who had previously declined to train as teachers for fear they would not be able to wear the head scarf in school would now be encouraged to do so.

Although the ruling does not mean a general permission to wear the head scarf, “it is cause for joy,” said Nurhan Soykan, general secretary of the Central Council of Muslims in Germany. “It gives worth to Muslim women in Germany and lets them participate in social life as citizens with equal rights.”

NY Times