German constitutional court allows the heardscarves in public schools

[Dystopia]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/1...1V20150313

Muslim women teachers can wear headscarves as long as it does not cause disruption in school, Germany's top court said in a ruling that overturns an earlier ban and may fuel debate about what some nationalist groups see as creeping "Islamization".

The Constitutional Court struck down its own 2003 ban on headscarves for teachers, which had led some German states to forbid Muslim headscarves in schools while permitting the use of Christian symbols such as crucifixes and nuns' habits.

The court in Karlsruhe, ruling on a case brought by a Muslim woman blocked from a teaching job because of her headscarf, said religious symbols could only be banned when they posed "not just an abstract but a concrete risk of disruption in schools".

"This is a good day for religious freedom," said Volker Beck, a lawmaker from the opposition Greens.

And

But the German Teachers' Association (DL) called the ruling "problematic", saying it undermined the principle of political and religious "neutrality" in schools and public services.

"We fear this ruling could lead to disruption in certain schools if, for example, non-Muslim parents do not agree with their children being taught by teachers in headscarves," said Josef Kraus, president of the teachers' body.

I don't really know what to think. I believe Christian symbols shouldn't be privileged over Muslim symbols and if we're going to ban one religion's symbol we should ban symbols from all religions.

I'm still not sure, I want people to have freedom to wear what they want, but I think using a veil in public school violates the principle of secularism, just like a crucifix nailed in the wall...

I also think using a veil (specially the burqa) causes issues with communication (facial expressions) and possibly endangers security because you have no idea who's teaching you.


Germans, what do you think of this?

[abaris]

Especially the Bavarian CSU (christian social union) fought teeth and claw for crosses remaining in schools and other public places. So in an open society you can't allow one bullshit while banning the other. Also a headscarf is still a far cry from being a burqa. Personally I think the French way is best. Banning all religious symbols from public buildings to emphasize that the state is secular.

[Dystopia]

Especially the Bavarian CSU (christian social union) fought teeth and claw for crosses remaining in schools and other public places. So in an open society you can't allow one bullshit while banning the other. Also a headscarf is still a far cry from being a burqa. Personally I think the French way is best. Banning all religious symbols from public buildings to emphasize that the state is secular.

I agree. No major religious symbols in public schools, for teachers AND students. A small cross that is barely noticeable is ok, and any similar symbol for another religion. Giant crosses, veils or anything that immediately screams "This is my religion!" is not.

[Minimalist]

Yes. Vive L'France.

[Alex K]

Man did the crosses in our school piss me off. But I tend to be ok with the head scarf, not ok with burqas and sometimes niqabs.

[abaris]

Man did the crosses in our school piss me off. But I tend to be ok with the head scarf, not ok with burqas and sometimes niqabs.

I wasn't that keen on the presidential pictures either. Don't know if they do that in german schools.

Also I grew up in a time when many christian women, especially in rural areas wore headscarfs too. Women were also not supposed to show their hair in catholic churches. I think they abandoned that in the meantime, but you can't be that sure with these people.

[Dystopia]

Man did the crosses in our school piss me off. But I tend to be ok with the head scarf, not ok with burqas and sometimes niqabs.

I wasn't that keen on the presidential pictures either. Don't know if they do that in german schools.

Also I grew up in a time when many christian women, especially in rural areas wore headscarfs too. Women were also not supposed to show their hair in catholic churches. I think they abandoned that in the meantime, but you can't be that sure with these people.

Political symbols should not be allowed as well, schools have no right to show or impose a specific political ideology.

This is all for public schools, private schools have the right to adopt any religion or ideology.

[RobertE]

I live in France and because it is laique, it seems to work out alright. However, the number of people who read their bibles in Paris on public transport is quite impressive, and the statistics for the Jewish Torah too, staggering. In all my time, I have only see one Jew and one Christian reading their holy books. As far as Islam is concerned, there is not a day that goes by that I see the Qu'ran on public transport. So, I just stick to Darwin and Dawkins, and I do get some funny looks, but I don't care since I was born to piss people off...

[Minimalist]

Someone needs to publish a book called "DARWIN WAS RIGHT YOU DUMB FUCKS" just so the morons can get pissed off when they see the cover.

[Lucanus]

Someone needs to publish a book called "DARWIN WAS RIGHT YOU DUMB FUCKS" just so the morons can get pissed off when they see the cover.

I can already see it:

DARWIN WAS RIGHT YOU DUMB FUCKS

a collection of Minimalist quotes