Belgium: East Flanders Fires Muslim Teacher Over Headscarf

Warda Shahid

September 15, 2026

Hadija Amajoud was fired from her Assenede school after refusing to remove her headscarf under a province ban.

Photo by Reynaldo Yodia

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Belgian broadcaster VRT said the East Flanders provincial government fired teacher Hadija Amajoud for refusing to remove her headscarf.
The ACOD union plans to challenge the dismissal at the Chamber of Appeal in Brussels, calling it a test case for religious freedom in schools.
Belgium’s Council of State already rejected a legal challenge to the province’s symbol ban in May, brought by six students and other groups.

Belgian broadcaster VRT said Monday that the provincial government of East Flanders dismissed a teacher after she refused to remove her headscarf, breaking a ban on religious symbols in provincial schools.

Hadija Amajoud has taught at a provincial special education school in Assenede since 2022 and wore a headscarf from the day she started. A disciplinary procedure began after she made clear she would not take it off while teaching.

Union to Challenge Dismissal

The ACOD trade union said it will challenge the dismissal before the Chamber of Appeal in Brussels. The union said the case could set an important precedent for religious freedom and neutrality in education.

Amajoud Calls Neutrality “Purely Political”

Amajoud questioned how far an employer can go in limiting a teacher’s personal freedom and described the province’s neutrality claim as “purely political.”

“Actually, no one is neutral. Every teacher stands in front of a class with his or her own convictions,” she said.

Province Defends the Decision

The provincial administration defended the dismissal, saying it was enforcing personnel regulations approved through a democratic process. It said the ban on religious and political symbols has applied in all its schools since the start of the current school year. Under the rules, teachers and students cannot wear badges, symbols or clothing that show political or religious views.

Legal Challenge Rejected in May

Six students and other groups opposed to the ban took their case to Belgium’s Council of State, but the court ruled against them in May.

Rights Groups Call Ban Discriminatory

Rights organisations and advocacy groups have criticised the recent bans in Belgium, calling them discriminatory against Muslim women and girls. The Flemish Institute for Human Rights had earlier found discrimination and intimidation in Amajoud’s case.

In March, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) condemned the East Flanders ban, saying the restriction on the hijab was meant to promote “bigoted agendas.” CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper said people of every background should be free to “dress as they please based on the dictates of their conscience and the principles of their faith.”