German Mayor Suspends Muslim Intern On Day 1 Because She Refused To Remove Her Hijab

A 48-year-old Palestinian refugee who was hired as an intern at a German mayor’s office was fired from work on her very first day just because she refused to remove her headscarf. Mayor Elisabeth Herzog-von der Heide of the town Luckenwalde, near Berlin, fired the intern for refusing to accept orders, reported The Local.

Muslim Intern Fired

However, the mayor insists that her being a Muslim had nothing to do with this. “The Islamic headscarf is a means of expressing a religious worldview,” Herzog-von der Heide was quoted as saying. Wearing a headscarf would violate the neutrality of the town where even crucifixes aren’t allowed. The Palestinian woman who had been hired for a project called ‘Perspectives for Refugees’ was supposed to work there for about six weeks. She said that she did not want to remove the scarf in the presence of men. Therefore Herzog-von der Heide told her that they won’t be able to provide a suitable working environment. The lady said it would have been better had they clarified this particular policy beforehand.

Muslim Intern Fired

While some members of the parliament condemn the act by saying that “there is no legal basis for this decision,” and ““It is something different than a crucifix on the wall,” there are other sections of the society like political party Alternative for Germany (AfD) who praised the decision by the mayor. “If the cross is not permitted in the rooms of the town hall, then there should not be special treatment for Muslims,” said AfD state parliament representative Thomas Jung. “The mayor deserves respect and not scolding for her uncomfortable decision,” he said.

Muslim Intern Fired

The banning of the headscarf remains a hot topic in Germany as the nation stands divided on whether it should be allowed in a professional environment. A young lawyer in Bavaria won a victory at the end of June when the court sided with her that she would be able to wear a headscarf while performing legal duties. The judge stated that there were no legal grounds for denying her religious and educational freedom. However, more recently two major judges associations have said that they are in favour of banning headscarves in court.