In Paris, a police candidate won a case before the Administrative Court of Appeal after being rejected by the Police Prefecture because of a prayer mark on his forehead. This decision was confirmed Monday by his lawyer, Maître Sefen Guez Guez, to the Anadolu agency.
The Police Prefecture, initially supported by the Paris Administrative Court, was defended on appeal by the Ministry of the Interior. However, the Administrative Court of Appeal overturned this decision. Maître Guez Guez welcomed this victory, affirming that “this decision which applies to the entire public service protects the right of Muslims to join the administration, even if they are practicing”.
This court decision is significant because it “protects the rights of candidates for public service and sheds light on the practices of discrimination that exist within the national police,” added Maître Guez Guez. “France deserves better,” he concluded.
The Police Prefecture had motivated its choice by the presence of a visible mark on the candidate’s forehead, which it considered as a “sign of diligent practice of one’s religion”, implying a “risk of withdrawal into identity”. Many other similar cases have been recorded, targeting administrative decisions deemed excessive, especially after the 2015 attacks in France.
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