Diversity and Social Justice, Religious symbols in public office’

In the footsteps of the French ban on cospicious religious symbols in state schools, debates on the understanding of secularity and state-neutrality towards religion and faith in the Belgian context have revived. This paper focuses on some core questions and arguments in the current debate over the wearing of visible religious symbols and dress in employment in public office in the Belgian context. It outlines and discusses different and intersecting perspectives and policy-domains that are relevant to the issue: 1) diversity policies aiming to address social exclusion and labour-market discrimination of migrants and Muslims, 2) multicultural policies and anti-discrimination policies 3) state-neutrality and the relation of the Belgian state vis à vis religion and life stances and 4) women s emancipation and gender equality. Some critical questions regarding the use of the concept of inclusive neutrality, as it is currently advocated as an alternative to exclusive or strict state neutrality, are raised. We further comment on other related tendencies and concepts such as active neutrality and active pluralism.