Court Rules Muslim Prayer Causes School Conflict

(Berlin, Germany) Last year, a Berlin administrative court ruled that a Muslim high school student be granted a private room for his daily prayer sessions. The ruling came about after the student demanded he be granted the right to conduct his prayers at school. The administration had previously told him that he couldn't pray in the hallways.

However, the Berlin education authority appealed the case and a higher Berlin court has now ruled that the original decision be overturned.

On Thursday, the higher court ruled that one pupil's rights could not be put before the good of the group as a whole. It argued that in a school with students of various religious beliefs, neutrality was required to ensure a proper learning environment. […]

The court ruled that a restriction of religious freedom at school was justified in this case in order to protect other constitutional freedoms: These could include the right to religious freedom of other students, the rights of parents and the need for peace in schools.

School administrators are pleased -- for now. It's expected that the ruling will now be appealed to a higher court, the Federal Administrative Court.