Inside Story

Does new EU court ruling target Muslim women?

The European Court of Justice has ruled private companies can prohibit religious and political symbols in the workplace.

Human rights campaigners say a new ruling by the European Union’s top court unfairly targets Muslim women.

The European Court of Justice upheld the right for private companies to ban any religious attire at work.

The ruling involves two different cases of Muslim women fired for refusing to remove their hijabs or headscarves at work.

But for many Muslim women, the hijab is not a symbol but a required part of their faith.

And many rights groups say forcing people to choose between their faith and work is in itself a violation of their rights.

What does the EU’s top court decision mean for religious minorities?

Presenter: Dareen Abughaida

Guests:

Maryam Hmadoun – policy officer for equality and inclusion at the Open Society Justice Initiative

Eva Brems – professor of human rights law at the University of Ghent

Darya Safai – women’s rights activist and founder of the “Let Iranian Women Enter Their Stadiums” campaign