Government Offices In European Union Can Ban Religious Symbols: Court

Such a rule can be imposed "in order to put in place an entirely neutral administrative environment," the court said.

Government offices in the EU can ban employees wearing religious symbols such as Islamic headscarves, even when they do not have contact with the public, the Court of Justice of the EU ruled Tuesday.

Such a rule can be imposed "in order to put in place an entirely neutral administrative environment," the court said.

The judgment derived from a case lodged by a worker in a Belgian local government office who challenged a ban on her wearing an Islamic headscarf, feeling that it infringed on her freedom of religion and she was being discriminated against.