DHAKA: A Paris appeal court on Wednesday upheld the right of a nursery to fire a female employee who insisted on wearing an Islamic headscarf at work.

In the latest round of a long-running legal battle, the court overturned a controversial March 2013 ruling that the ‘Baby-Wolf’ kindergarten in the Paris suburbs had been guilty of religious discrimination when it dismissed Fatima Afif in 2008.

Afif was sacked after telling her employer that, on her return to work following five years of maternity leave, she wished to wear a headscarf at all times.

The head of the day nursery refused, citing the establishment’s rules that employees had to be neutral in terms of philosophy, politics and faith.

That led to a stand-off and Afif being made redundant, reports The Straits Times.

BDST: 1807 HRS, NOV 27, 2013