Banning Headscarves - A Workable Policy?

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled this week that companies can ban employees from wearing the Islamic headscarf or 'hijab', but only as part of a general policy prohibiting the visible wearing of any political, philosophical or religious sign.

The wearing of a 'hijab' has become a much politicised issue in recent months, particularly in Continental Europe. It is perhaps unsurprising that the reaction to this ruling has therefore been mixed. The ruling has been welcomed by politicians in France and Belgium (where the cases originated) as providing much needed clarity on the law: Francois Fillon, the French presidential candidate, went so far as to say that the ruling was "an immense relief, not just for thousands of companies but also for their workers". But the ruling has also been met with dismay by religious groups, including Muslim groups, who see it as a thinly veiled measure targeting Muslim women.