Muslim teachers in the German state of Berlin will be allowed to wear headscarves after a discriminatory practice that imposed a blanket ban on Islamic attire was abolished.

Teachers will, in general, be allowed to wear headscarves and religious symbols and can only be restricted in individual cases if the wearing of such religious attire poses a danger to school peace, according to an official letter sent to school directors by Berlin’s education department.

Under Berlin’s neutrality act, which prevents civil servants from wearing religious clothing and symbols, teachers in the city have been banned from wearing headscarves since 2005.

But several court rulings in recent years underlined that a blanket ban on headscarves constitutes discrimination and violates religious freedom guaranteed by the constitution.