Germany bans Muslim teen from wearing niqab in school

School says attire impedes student's educational development

A German court has forbidden a Muslim student from wearing a niqab to school after the institution said it hindered her educational development.

Both, the school and then a judge told the 18-year-old that she could not wear the religious garment which covers the body in its entirety except the eyes. The ruling came just days after Chancellor Angela Merkel said the burqa was "contrary to integration".



The teenager had tried to sue Sophie Scholl Evening Gymnasium for forbidding her from donning the garment but lost the case. The teen's appeal was rejected by an administrative court in Osnabrück when she failed to appear in person to make her case following huge media attention. She was born and raised in Germany.

The ruling is representative of a clash between the country's principles of education devolution and religious freedom. Both principles are signed into constitutional law.

The school argued that the student's educational development could not be ensured while her face remained covered. The school further argued that identifying the student was also a problem.

In response, the student suggested a female teacher could lift her veil to identify her. However, the school said this did not overcome the problem of ineffective communication.



The school said that open communication between teachers and students relied "not only on the spoken word, but also on non-verbal elements and body language."

In a similar incident, a Muslim student in Bavaria was forbidden from wearing the niqab at her secondary school. Most students and schools have usually reached an understanding before going to court.

Last week, German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere came out in favour of a partial burqa ban amid a fierce national debate on integration. He did warn supporters that the move would contravene Germany's laws on religious freedom.

This article originally appeared on Independent