Posted on 06/27/2014 8:40:28 PM PDT by markomalley
Upholding the separation between church and State, the French supreme Cassation Court has ruled that the controversial dismissal of an employee for wearing an Islamic veil to work in a private creche on the outskirts of Paris is legal.
The case that has gripped France for six years began when Baby-Loup, a day-care center employing Fatima Afif in the multicultural Parisian suburb of Chanteloup-les-Vignes, fired her after she refused to remove her Islamic headscarf at work.
''This verdict is good news for children, women, employees, Muslims, and non-Muslims'', said the day-care center's lawyer, Richard Malka.
''It is also good news for the republic''.
The plaintiff's lawyer, Michel Henry, called the ruling ''disappointing'' and said his client will take her case to the European Court of Human Rights.
''A private entity, in this case an association, can place limits on its employees' freedom to express their religious beliefs in the workplace'', the Cassation Court wrote.
''This does not mean that the secular principle must necessarily be enforced on private employees who do not render a public service'', it added.
Founded in 1991 in a multi-ethnic, low-income neighborhood, Baby-Loup cares for the children of single-parent and disadvantaged families. Its regulations say that staff must adhere to ''philosophical, political and religious neutrality''.
Afif charged discrimination in court, but her case was turned down in 2010, 2011, and by an appeals court in 2013.
''Children must not be confronted with ostentatious demonstrations of religious identity'', a Paris appeals court wrote in November.
Kudos to the French ... although it will cost them in the near future. Hope they are willing to take the consequences with as much courage.
Not for nothing, but the veils are NOT the problem.
So easy to tell women: you can’t wear veils. 9Truly a harmless thing to do.)
So hard to tell men: stop killing people.
The French evidently addressed directly whether a law of general applicability indeed applies to everyone. The problem here in the US is that Congress passes laws of general applicability (such as the ‘Affordable Care Act’) that are intrinsically unjust and immoral.
Does this mean that ninjas are having a difficult time finding work in France?
It’s my understanding that Muslim women wear the burka along with the veil and/or headscarf for the purpose of being modest.
Ok, I can understand that in the presence of men, they might have a point. However, what would be the point of wearing a veil while caring for children?
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