17 March 2017

Norwegian politician wants to ban hijab in workplaces

Carl I. Hagen, former leader of the nationalist Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet, Frp), wants to ban municipality employees in Oslo from wearing the hijab and other religious symbols.

The MP’s comments come just a few days after the EU Court upheld bans on headscarves by two employers in Belgium and France.

Hagen wants to use the ruling for a basis to ban all municipal employees from wearing political, religious or philosophical symbols at work, reports newspaper VG.

But Hagen’s call for a ban in Oslo is unlikely to gain much traction, according to municipality politicians.

Councillor Tone Tellevik Dahl of the Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) said that she found the bearing of religious symbols at work unproblematic. [The Local] Read more