January 18, 2007

Germany Shows the Way - Upholds Ban on Teachers’ Clothing that is Incompatible with Western Values

Yesterday I posted regarding the possible need for new laws to let us shut down mosques that preach racism, hatred, and the overthrow of western freedoms, laws, and governments.

Commenter A.M. Whittaker posted a link to an article on related legislation. States in Germany are making laws requiring teachers not to wear Islamic headscarves and other religious symbols that are incompatible with western values:

The amendment applies to ``symbols and clothing that express religious or ideological beliefs and at the same time can also be understood as an expression of an attitude incompatible with basic constitutional values and educational aims,'' according to an explanatory note on the law posted by the state government on the Bavarian parliament Web site. ``What matters is not the teacher's intention in wearing the item, but the possible interpretation.''

Headscarves will not be allowed under the law as some of those who support wearing them regard them as an expression of a lower status for women or of fundamentalism, in contradiction of the constitutional right of equality, the government said.

...Christian and Jewish symbols and clothing, such as nun's habits, will be excluded from the Bavarian ban, which takes effect Jan. 1. Teachers can wear such items in schools as they reflect the cultural and educational values of the state, the law says.

That is very important, especially in light of this week's British TV documentary, in which secret cameras were used to covertly videotape imams in a large, influential, and supposedly "moderate" mosque in England, calling outright for Muslims to "hate" non-Muslims; for Muslims to attack women and gays; for Muslims to look forward to a day when Muslims will get the upper hand and when non-Muslims will be killed; for Muslims to form "a state within a state" until they "take over"; and for Muslims to be unsatisfied living in anything other than "the total Islamic state." Islam is being used by many of its preachers as a call to treason, death, murder, and the destruction of Western freedoms, laws, and governments. We need laws such as this German one to protect our freedoms and way of life.

Germany has tragic experience with the evils of racism and is showing leadership in banning the racism preached by many imams. This week a German court upheld the legislation:

MUNICH, Germany - A court on Monday upheld a ban on Muslim teachers wearing head scarves in the schools of a German state under a law that says teachers' attire must be in line with "western Christian" values.

What is tremendously significant here is how the Court addressed the issue of religious freedom:

A Berlin-based Islamic association had complained about the law, which authorities in the conservative-run state of Bavaria have used to ban head scarves while allowing Roman Catholic nuns to continue to wear their head-covering habits in schools.

The Bavarian Constitutional Court ruled on Monday that the application of the law in the state neither violated religious freedom nor was discriminatory.

The court is distinguishing between religion and political ideology. Religion is protected, but not political ideology that opposes the nation's constitutional freedoms and laws:

...The state government [...] argued that the hijab -- a headscarf which is meant to shield Muslim women from the eyes of men outside their family -- was clashing with gender equality, which is guaranteed by the constitution.

This distinction between religion and political ideology in Islam is the key to creating laws that can prevent Islamic institutions from preaching racism, murder, violent attacks, etc. - which are attacks on our freedoms, laws, and constitution - and which are incompatible with our goals as a loving culture that seeks the health, success and well-being of all its citizens.