The Fight for the Recognition of Religious Symbols in Schools: A Comparative Study of France and Belgium

Should the principle of integration take into account the religious or cultural specificities of people of immigrant origin? Such is the question raised by debates around the wearing of Muslim headscarves in public places, combining the question of religious freedom with that of the integration of populations of immigrant origin. Comparing the points of view of groups claiming the right to wear religious signs in schools in Belgium and France, our research shows that most choose to adapt to the rules of the country where they live in the hope of having their demands satisfied. In short, there does not exist in Europe any homogeneous opposition to the prohibition of religious signs in public places, the arguments expressed depending each time on the jurisdiction of each country.