Mediaboss Marketing

In lets-all-take-a-step-backwards news, the European Unions highest court ruled this week that employers in Europe can legally ban hijabs at the office.

On Tuesday, a court in Luxembourg ruled it was legal to bar women from wearing hijabsas long as the company has a policy that bans all religious garb. While technically the ruling applies to symbols across religions and political bents, it comes in the midst of a European election season during which feelings toward Islamism have been under the microscope and conservative politicians have been gaining popularity, reports The Guardian .

You May Also Like

FashionCaitin Stickels, Model With Rare Genetic Disorder, Stars In Stunning Editorial

FashionModcloth Is Reportedly Being Bought by Walmart

Though not official, the ruling feels especially tailored to Muslim women. The decision comes as the result of two separate lawsuitsboth by Muslim women. In the first, a Belgian woman was fired from a security company where shed worked for three years when she started wearing a hijiab. The company said shed broken unwritten rules on religious symbols at work, according to The Guardian . In the second suit, a Muslim woman in France was fired from a tech firm after a customer claimed his employees were embarrassed" by the hijab she wore during a presentation. In this case, the court ruled in her favor, stating customers cannot ask an employee to remove a head scarf unless the company has a policy against them already in place. Last summer, French municipalities sparked outrage when Muslim women were prohibited from wearing swimwear that covers the body and the head, better known as the burkini.

Considering the current social climate around hijabsespecially in the global arenas of fashion and sports this seems like a major step backward. This year, Somali-American Halima Aden made history as the first Muslim model to walk in fashion week wearing a hijab, hitting runways from new-school Yeezy to old-school Alberta Ferretti (and before that she made history as the first contestant to wear a burkini in a beauty pageant). In the world of sports, Nike made major news earlier this month by announcing plans to release a sports-friendly hijab , leveling the playing field for Muslim athletes.

With the EUs ruling in the mix, it looks like two steps forward and one step back when it comes to fighting hijab-based discrimination.

The latest news surrounding hijab:

We asked Women's Day protesters what beauty means to them:

More:
The European Union Just Ruled Employers Can Legally Ban Hijabs at Work - Allure Magazine