PARIS, June 21: One of France’s principal appeals court — the Cour d’appel de Paris — has authorized a young Muslim woman to wear her Islamic scarf at her place of work.

The woman, Dallila Tahri had been fired in July 2002 by a tele-marketing firm, for insisting on wearing her scarf against the wishes of her employers who wanted her to wear a briefer veil which would have not covered her neck and ears.

This week’s decision confirms the one handed down last Dec 17 by the French court which decides on labour cases, which already had declared that Dallila Tahri’s firing by the tele-marketing firm was “manifestly illegal.” According to that decision, which is now confirmed, Dallila must now be not only reintegrated in her job, she must also be given back pay from July 2002.