Court rules against scarves

MUNICH, Germany -- Muslim teachers in southern Germany may not wear headscarves or any other symbol of their faith that could be construed to clash with Christian values, according to a Jan. 15 ruling by the Constitutional Court of Bavaria.

The ruling comes in the case of a lawsuit filed by the Islamic Religious Community of Berlin to protest a Bavarian ban on teachers wearing headscarves.

The Bavarian constitution calls for religious freedom, but also calls for children in public schools to be raised by Christian standards. In this clash of rights, the court decided that a constitutionally endorsed education was the more important goal, and that allowing certain clothes and symbols could endanger the educational system in Bavaria. The court ruling means a nun's habit is acceptable garb for a teacher, since that garment adheres to the constitution's Christian standards.

Ali Kizilkaya, head of Germany's Islamic Council, called the judgment "very regrettable." Church Officials and members of Germany's Christian Democratic Party praised the decision.

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