Submit your comments on this article |
Europe |
German conference on Islamic veil sparks controversy |
2019-05-05 |
![]() Islamic veils and headscarves remain the subject of heated public debate in Germany. Some view them as part and parcel of religious freedom; others as a symbol of women's oppression in Islam. The German court system has already taken up the issue of whether school teachers should be banned from wearing a partial headscarf or full veil ‐ or any other openly religious symbols ‐ in class. To complicate matters further, not all of Germany's 16 states see eye-to-eye on the matter, which is gaining in visibility due to the country's changing demographics. Germany's Moslem population, which has rapidly increased in recent years due to immigration from Moslem-majority countries, was estimated at between 4.4 and 4.7 million people or approximately 5.5% of the country's total population in 2015, according to the Federal Statistical Office. The number is doubtless higher now, according to the agency, but updated official figures exist. |
Posted by:trailing wife |