Brussels to Allow Religious Symbols in Higher Education, Sparking Debate

For Zakia Khattabi, co-President of Ecolo on Facebook, this decision represents a first step forward. "This ban has always been unbearable to me because of its discriminatory nature, as I know as a feminist how access to training and then to employment are paths to the emancipation of women. It has always been incomprehensible to me that this ban, and particularly that of the wearing of the veil since that is what it is about, is done in the name precisely of their emancipation. In short, a first step forward and a personal victory that I savor as the current context (and certain partners around the table) is not very conducive to the inclusive management of our diversity," she wrote on her Facebook account.

Conversely, the liberals have a completely different discourse. "Even if this measure is limited to students in Higher Education and Social Promotion, this is a precedent that will weaken the school as a place of neutrality towards religious facts. This backtracking is likely to lead to others at the school and civil service level. We are surprised that Défi, who wants to integrate secularism into the Constitution, is an accomplice to this policy," said Gaëtan Van Goidsenhoven.