Hijab-Wearing Muslim Women 'Discriminated' in Germany
In a recent interview with Anadolu Agency, Christine Lueders said Hijab-wearing women often faced discrimination in the labor market, at fitness clubs or while renting an apartment.
"Many people do not know that in Germany it is prohibited to impose a blanket ban on headscarves," she said, adding that fitness studios or employers could not impose such bans for individuals who wear religious symbols.
According to Lueders, the Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency received more than 21,000 discrimination complaints since 2016, but only 300 of them were lodged by women wearing headscarves.
"But these statistics do not say much about the actual numbers," she said.
"In general, when we talk about discrimination, there is always a high number of unreported cases. Because many people put up with discrimination or do not know where they can get support," she added.
In Germany, where nearly 4.7 million Muslims live, religious freedoms are protected by the German Constitution.
However, Muslim women who wear headscarves have been faced with an increasing level of discrimination in recent years amid a rise in anti-Muslim sentiments, triggered by propaganda from far-right and populist parties which have exploited the refugee crisis.
While Germany, unlike France, does not have strict rules which prohibit wearing religious symbols in public space, a recent ruling of the EU Court of Justice allows employers to ban their workers from wearing any religious symbol, including headscarves.
Source: Anadolu Agency
