June 2, 2006

Germany: Ban On Headscarves For Teachers Widens

Clash of Civilizations Update from Germany: "Ban On Headscarves For Teachers Widens," from UPI, with thanks to Sugiero:

BERLIN, June 1, 2006 (UPI) -- Legislators in Germany's largest state have voted to ban Muslim teachers from wearing headscarves at work.

The regional parliament of North-Rhine Westphalia approved the ban on Wednesday, Deutsche Welle reported. Half of the country's states now have headscarf bans.

Muslims are the third-largest religious group in Germany after Protestants and Catholics. Critics of headscarf bans say the policies can make it almost impossible for Muslim women to become teachers -- and are unfair because they single out Islam.