(WASHINGTON, D.C., 10/24/2022) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today condemned a ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) in Luxembourg that makes it easier for EU companies to ban visible religious signs, including Islamic head scarves (hijab), in the workplace.
The CJEU ruling came in the case of a woman who was barred from an internship after she had refused to remove her hijab to comply with company policy.
SEE: EU’s top court allows headscarf ban at work, drawing ire from activists
It is the latest in a series of rulings that critics say discriminate against European Muslims. CAIR condemned a similar ruling in 2021.
“European bans on religious attire at work are almost always bigoted policies meant to target the Muslim community,” said CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell. “No government or company should unnecessarily ban workers from wearing visible signs of their faith.”
Mitchell said CAIR has a long history of protecting the right to religious attire in this country and worldwide.
He noted that CAIR condemned a French law that could ban Muslim athletes from wearing hijabs, or Islamic headscarves at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Earlier this year, CAIR called on Secretary of State Antony Blinken to address a ban on hijab for Muslim girls at government-run schools in the Indian state of Karnataka.
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, [email protected]; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, [email protected]; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, [email protected]; CAIR National Communications Coordinator Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, [email protected]