(Deutsche Welle) There are very few women and girls in Germany wearing a full-face veil such as the niqab or the burqa — most likely a mere two-digit number. A recent verdict handed down by a Hamburg court, however, has sparked a fierce debate with surprising front lines: feminists, at least partially, find themselves on the same side as political right-wingers. And Germany’s Green party is particularly divided on the issue.
Recently, the Hamburg court backed the case of a student’s mother. According to the ruling, her 16-year-old daughter is allowed to wear the niqab in class. The school authority had attempted to ban her from wearing the garment during lessons. Veils like the niqab and the burqa cover a woman’s entire face, sometimes even the eyes.
In their ruling, the judges in particular invoked the girl’s “right to unconditional protection of her freedom of religion.” Limiting that freedom, they added, was only permissible on a legal basis, which does not currently exist in Hamburg’s education legislation.
