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Appeals court rules police justified to forcibly remove hijabs from asylum seekers The two women — citing their religious beliefs — refused to remove their head coverings for police to take registration photos, which were required in order to process their asylum applications.

(Yle) The Court of Appeal in Turku has ruled that police officers were justified in their actions when they forcibly removed hijab head coverings from two female asylum seekers during an incident at a police station in the city of Hämeenlinna in […]

Academics & Education

Appeal Court upholds Quebec law that bars teachers, police from wearing religious symbols Civil liberties groups argued law discriminates against Muslim women who wear head coverings

(CBC) The Quebec Court of Appeal has upheld the province’s controversial secularism law in a ruling on challenges to the law’s constitutionality released Thursday afternoon. The heavily anticipated judgment is 290 pages long and quashes a previous exception, made by Superior Court […]

Clothing

It’s OK to ban wearing religious symbols at work, EU top court rules A public administration may prohibit staff from wearing items such as an Islamic headscarf, CJEU says.

(Politico) The EU’s top court on Tuesday ruled that a public administration may ban staff from visibly wearing any sign which reveals philosophical or religious beliefs, in order to create a “neutral administrative environment.” “Such a rule is not discriminatory if it […]

Academics & Education

Muslim girl turned away from school in France for wearing hijab files complaint with UN 15-year-old student in Lyon was sent back home on Sept. 5 for wearing Japanese garment kimono

(Anadolu) A Muslim student, who had been turned away from school for wearing a kimono, a Japanese garment, in France, has filed a complaint with the UN over being “discriminated against” due to her religious affiliation. The controversy over the French government’s […]

Academics & Education

Laval high school denies banning students who wear religious symbols However, Collège Citoyen de Laval says parents must file a 'religious accommodation' request if their child wears a hijab, for example.

(Montreal Gazette) Embroiled in controversy, a private high school in Laval says it has not forbidden students from wearing religious symbols — but it does require that parents request a “religious accommodation.” An online petition that collected 6,900 signatures over two days […]

Arts & Entertainment

Censored for ‘safety’: Swedish cultural centre cancels Iran-critical artist MEP Charlie Weimers: 'It is pure censorship. Ahmadi makes it clear that this is not a criticism of Islam but of political Islam, veiling, and the regime in Iran.'

(European Conservative) After her art exhibition was shut down over safety concerns by a Swedish cultural centre, artist Sadaf Ahmadi has been invited to Brussels by Sweden Democrats (SD) MEP Charlie Weimers to display her sculptures of women wearing the Islamic chador. […]

Academics & Education

Family member says student at Halifax school was told to remove traditional scarf on culture day Halifax Regional Centre for Education acknowledges 'incident' but denies ban

(CBC) Some family members at Park West School in Halifax along with local advocacy groups are planning protests after they say children were told they couldn’t wear a traditional Palestinian scarf for the school’s culture day. The school principal and the Halifax […]

Academics & Education

She pushed back her student’s hijab. Was it a mistake or an act of hate? Evidence of antisemitism competed against allegations of Islamophobia as an online debate divided this suburban community along racial and religious lines

(Washington Post) Tamar Herman knew that a Muslim girl in her second-grade class always wore a hijab. But one day, Herman thought she saw a hoodie covering it. She asked the girl to remove it, she says. Then, depending whom you believe, […]

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Naheed Nenshi says politicians play role in spreading Islamophobia The former mayor of Calgary says politicians can calm anti-Islamic tensions, but some choose to score political points instead.

(Montreal Gazette) Former Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi had some choice words for both federal and provincial politicians, who he says are capitalizing on anti-Islamic sentiment to score political points. Nenshi, the first person of Muslim faith to be elected as mayor of […]

Academics & Education