German Court Bans Headscarf-Wearing Muslim Woman From Judicial Posts
New Age Islam News Bureau
03 December 2025
· German Court Bans Headscarf-Wearing Muslim Woman From Judicial Posts
· Under Pressure, Quds Force Chief Appears At Iranian Pro-Hijab Rally
· Oxygen Park Concludes Sports Community Classes For Women
· Iranian MPs Decry Lack Of Observance Of Female Dress Code, ‘Abnormal Behaviours’
· Religion and Public Life Lecture Explores Gendered Authority at Women's Mosque of America
· UNICEF: Every Woman And Girl In Afghanistan Deserves A Future With Guaranteed Health, Education, And Security
· EU: We Support The Provision Of Healthcare Services For Women In Afghanistan
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/german-court-bans-muslim-woman/d/137875
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German court bans headscarf-wearing Muslim woman from judicial posts
BY ANADOLU AGENCY
DEC 02, 2025
Presiding judge Isabel Hildebrandt opens another session of the trial against defendant German entrepreneur and gastronome Christina Block over alleged child abduction at the District Court in Hamburg, northern Germany, Nov. 6, 2025. (AFP Photo)
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A German court has determined that a Muslim woman who declines to remove her headscarf during proceedings cannot serve as a judge or prosecutor, a move that critics say undermines religious freedom.
The administrative court in Hesse announced its ruling on Monday, upholding the authorities' decision to reject the woman's application. In a statement, the Darmstadt court acknowledged that the lawyer's religious freedom carries significant constitutional weight. However, it ruled that this right is outweighed by competing constitutional principles, including state neutrality and the religious freedom of trial participants.
According to the court's statement, the woman was asked during her application interview whether she would remove her headscarf when interacting with trial participants. She clearly said she would not. Hesse authorities rejected her application, arguing that wearing a religiously symbolic garment during judicial proceedings violates the principle of state neutrality and could undermine public confidence in the justice system's impartiality.
In October, a court in Lower Saxony issued a similar ruling against a woman who sought to serve as a lay judge while wearing a headscarf. The Braunschweig Higher Regional Court ruled that state law prohibits judges from visibly displaying symbols that reflect political, religious, or ideological views during trials-a restriction that also applies to lay judges.
Religious freedom advocates criticized the recent rulings on social media, arguing that Germany's interpretation of state neutrality has become a tool for discrimination rather than impartiality. Critics say such rulings disproportionately affect Muslim women and create significant barriers to their participation in the legal profession and public service.
Source: dailysabah.com
https://www.dailysabah.com/world/europe/german-court-bans-headscarf-wearing-muslim-woman-from-judicial-posts
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Under pressure, Quds Force chief appears at Iranian pro-hijab rally
Dec. 3, 2025
Esmail Qa'ani, commandar of thr Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force, attends pro-hijab rally in Tehran,Iran,on Nov.29,2025 (Photo by Zahra Pazoki via ANA)
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The story: Esmail Qa’ani, the commander of Iran’s expeditionary Quds Force, has stirred controversy by appearing at a pro-hijab rally. Qa’ani’s participation at the march in Tehran, organized in apparent reaction to how a rising number of women openly flout the mandatory Islamic dress code, has drawn mixed reactions on Iranian social media— particularly as it comes amid debate over his effectiveness as Quds Force commander.
The coverage: The Nov. 29 rally aimed to demonstrate support for enforcement of the mandatory hijab. Many women have been shunning headscarves since the eruption of anti-establishment protests in 2022. This trend has intensified since the war with Israel in June this year.
Photos published by conservative media, including the state broadcaster and the ANA news agency, showed the 67-year-old commander at the march, dressed in casual clothing and a cap.
Publicly available images suggest that Qa’ani may have been the highest-ranking official of the Islamic Republic to attend the gathering.
Critics have lashed out at the Quds Force chief for taking part in a rally seen as only deepening fractures in society.
Academic and political commentator Morteza Nemati-Zaragaran argued that Qa’ani’s presence was “the most surprising” aspect of the pro-hijab protest. He argued that the Quds Force chief “should be a symbol of unity” following the June war with Israel, but instead opted to “attend a gathering that benefits a minority.”
UK-based Iranian journalist Amir Soltanzadeh asserted that Qa’ani’s attendance at the Tehran rally should be taken as a message by “people who do not believe in the mandatory hijab but backed the Islamic Republic” during the confrontation with Israel. “In the next war, remember that they do not care about your support,” he charged.
Notably, Iranian authorities have been laboring to promote unity in society in the aftermath of the war with Israel, deploying pre-Islamic iconography to appeal to nationalist sentiments.
Other critics have contended that Qa’ani should focus his attention on military matters, given the risk of renewed conflict with Israel and the United States.
Reformist former deputy culture minister Mohammad Sohofi (2001-5) described Qa’ani’s attendance at the rally as a “disaster”, rhetorically asking, “Should the general be in the war room or at a pro-hijab rally?”
UK-based media researcher and former political prisoner Hossein Derakhshan questioned Qa’ani’s leadership and contrasted him to his slain predecessor Qasem Soleimani. He charged that Qa’ani lacks even “a fraction of Soleimani’s worth, intelligence, faith and humanity.”
Mahmoud Yousefinejad, a veteran of the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq War who often comments on political matters on Twitter/X, also cast doubt over Qa’ani’s fitness to lead the Quds Force. He specifically blamed the 67-year-old for the setbacks suffered by Iran’s regional allies in recent years.
Some hardline voices, however, have defended Qa’ani and praised him for taking part in the rally.
Political commentator Alireza Taqavinia said the Quds Force chief is battling a “cultural offensive” against the mandatory hijab ostensibly launched by western governments, which he claimed “is more dangerous than a military offensive.”
Hardline politician Mohammad Baqeri similarly charged, “A cultural war may not be more important than a military conflict, but it is not less important either.”
Source: amwaj.media
https://amwaj.media/en/media-monitor/under-pressure-qa-ani-makes-public-appearance-in-pro-hijab-rally
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Oxygen Park concludes sports community classes for women
03/12/2025
The Oxygen Park in Education City hosted a series of community support sessions organised by Go Pilates to promote women’s physical well-being. The park saw wide participation from dozens of women who benefited from the open spaces and organisational supervision provided by Oxygen Park, which ensured a healthy and integrated environment for the sessions. Experienced Go Pilates instructors also provided support.
The community Pilates classes contributed to women’s health by improving core strength, correcting posture, and enhancing overall physical capabilities in a simple and accessible way. Movement and breathing techniques helped reduce stress and promote mental flexibility, while the supportive group environment fostered a greater sense of belonging and motivation, positively impacting women’s long-term mental health.
Speaking about the series, Nouhaila El Mendili, manager at Go Pilates said: “Our community classes remind us that strength doesn’t just come from the core—it comes from connection. When women move together, breathe together and support one another, wellbeing becomes something we build as a collective. Doha’s Oxygen Park gives us the space to rediscover that kind of shared mindfulness and power.”
Pilates is no longer a niche fitness trend — it is becoming a mainstream wellness movement. In the US alone, an estimated 11 million people participate in Pilates each year, with women making up roughly two-thirds of that group.
The 130,000-square-metre Oxygen Park is designed to integrate aspects of well-being and provide an open space for goers to exercise within a uniquely designed environment.
Source: qatar-tribune.com
https://www.qatar-tribune.com/article/207546/nation/oxygen-park-concludes-sports-community-classes-for-women
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Iranian MPs Decry Lack Of Observance Of Female Dress Code, ‘Abnormal Behaviours’
2 December 2025
More than half the members of Iran’s parliament have accused the judiciary of failing to properly enforce the law on mandatory headscarves, state media report, as some Iranian women now refuse to wear the hijab.
Under rules imposed after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, all women in Iran are required to cover their hair completely and wear modest, loose-fitting clothing when in public.
But in major cities, particularly Tehran, many women are now going out without headscarves, sometimes sporting dyed hair along with jeans and sneakers.
“The judiciary cannot remain passive,” write 155 of Iran’s 290 lawmakers in a letter to judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei.
“The lack of will to promulgate a law approved by the parliament and the failure to implement the Islamic Penal Code have paved the ground for nudity, not observing hijab, and other abnormal behaviors,” the parliamentarians are quoted as saying by the body’s official news agency ICANA.
In Iran, the term “nudity” generally refers to clothing deemed inappropriate.
The administration of President Masoud Pezeshkian refused last year to promulgate a law passed by the parliament that would have drastically increased penalties for women who do not wear the hijab or wear it improperly.
Since coming to power in July 2024, Pezeshkian has maintained that women cannot be forced to wear the hijab.
The issue has been a flashpoint of contention in Iran since the mass protests that followed the death in custody of Mahsa Amini in 2022. The young woman had been arrested by the morality police in Tehran for allegedly flouting the strict Islamic dress code for women.
Some clergy members and conservative officials are vehemently opposed to what they consider to be widespread “nudity” and a surge of Western influence, perceived as a threat.
In recent months, authorities have closed several cafes and restaurants for failing to enforce the hijab rules or for serving alcohol, which is prohibited in Iran.
The office of the supreme leader came under fire last week from some ultraconservatives after it published in its newspaper a photo of an unveiled Iranian woman killed in the 12-day war in June against Israel.
In the picture, the young woman appears with a simple cap on her head with her hair visible.
Source: timesofisrael.com
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/iranian-mps-decry-lack-of-observance-of-female-dress-code-abnormal-behaviors/
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Religion and Public Life Lecture Explores Gendered Authority at Women's Mosque of America
December 02, 2025
On November 7, 2025, Religion and Public Life (RPL) hosted a virtual conversation with Tazeen Ali, Assistant Professor of Religion and Politics at the John C. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics at the Washington University in St. Louis. Ali's lecture focused on gendered authority at the Women’s Mosque of America (WMA).
Ali presented several chapters from her book, The Women’s Mosque of America: Authority & Community in US Islam, examining how Muslim women at the WMA exercise different forms of religious authority. Through an analysis of sermons delivered by and interviews with members of the Mosque, Ali contends that interpreting the Qur’an serves as the main method through which Muslim women establish themselves as religious actors in American Islam.
The WMA is a multiracial congregation for Muslim women and their interfaith allies located in Los Angeles, CA. In contrast to mainstream mosques where women are often relegated to separate and unequal prayer spaces, women at the WMA occupy leadership positions, lead prayers, and deliver sermons. While women-only mosques remain rare in North America, the WMA draws upon an extant tradition of women-only mosques from across the globe, bolstering their community with continuity and legitimacy within Islam. Ali emphasized that the WMA is not interested in presenting itself as a “radical” space, but that they hope to “tilt things on their side” rather than “turn things on their head.”
Throughout her presentation, Ali demonstrated the significance of interpretive authority to the WMA’s mission of building an inclusive community for all women. By inviting lay women to deliver sermons, the WMA challenges the preeminence of male scholars in Qur’anic studies. Furthermore, the WMA emphasizes the English language translations of the Qur’an, providing members with unmediated access to scripture in their vernacular. Through this accessibility, many women experienced a greater connection with God.
The WMA also foregrounds personal experience and embodied knowledge: preachers are encouraged to exegete scripture through the lens of their daily lives as Muslim women. For instance, Ali analyzed a sermon that addressed gender-based violence and the Qur’anic imperative to advocate for the oppressed. Other sermon topics included racial justice, an issue rarely discussed by mainstream mosques that tend to be ethnically homogenous.
By presenting scripture as speaking for itself, preachers at the WMA advocate for women’s interpretive authority while simultaneously rendering their practice legible in the broader context of mainstream Islam. Ali’s lecture skillfully illustrated the careful interplay between innovation and tradition in the WMA’s work toward gender equality.
Source: harvard.edu
https://rpl.hds.harvard.edu/news/2025/12/02/rpl-lecture-explores-gendered-authority-womens-mosque-america
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UNICEF: Every Woman and Girl in Afghanistan Deserves a Future with Guaranteed Health, Education, and Security
3 December 2025
Tajudeen Oyewale, the UNICEF Representative, has stated that every woman and girl in Afghanistan deserves a future in which their health, education, and security are guaranteed.
On Tuesday, December 2, Oyewale issued a message marking the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, emphasizing the importance of women’s health and education in Afghanistan.
He added that during this 16 Days of Activism campaign against Gender-Based Violence, investment must be made in services that are led and delivered by women in order to “restore hope.”
The UNICEF Representative said: “Together, we can make this a reality for all women and girls in Afghanistan.”
These remarks come at a time when, following the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan, women and girls have been deprived of their rights to education and employment, leaving them facing an uncertain future.
Source: 8am.media
https://8am.media/eng/unicef-every-woman-and-girl-in-afghanistan-deserves-a-future-with-guaranteed-health-education-and-security/
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EU: We Support the Provision of Healthcare Services for Women in Afghanistan
3 December 2025
The European Union has announced that it supports the delivery of healthcare services in Afghanistan to ensure that “women, girls, and mothers” can access essential care.
In a message issued on Tuesday, December 2, to mark the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, the EU emphasized the importance of women’s access to healthcare services.
The EU added that in addition to supporting healthcare services, it also backs the training of women as healthcare professionals.
It stressed that taking action to end violence is essential for ensuring safe and accessible healthcare services for all.
This comes as restrictions and challenges in the health sector have increased since the Taliban’s return to power, leaving many women facing serious obstacles in accessing medical services.
Source: 8am.media
https://8am.media/eng/eu-we-support-the-provision-of-healthcare-services-for-women-in-afghanistan/
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/german-court-bans-muslim-woman/d/137875