Should we authorize, or not, the wearing of religious symbols, such as the veil, in the public service? The PTB and the MR have two very different visions. Nabil Boukili (PTB) and Pierre-Yves Jeholet (MR) had a heated debate in Rendez-vous. It notably led to a response from the Minister-President of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation which did not go unnoticed.
Why does the MR say no to the veil, particularly in administrations at the counter? “Because we are in favor of the neutrality of the State and neutrality is no longer a value shared on the left, we know this, and therefore we are for the ban on convictional signs for all agents of the function public“, replies Pierre-Yves Jeholet.
He doesn’t hide being “very worried” : “When we see in Brussels that we are against stunning before the slaughter of animals, when people come to explain to me that in workplaces, we ask for an interruption for prayer during workplaces, that more and more more young girls no longer go to the swimming pool even though it is an obligation in education. That’s state neutrality. The neutrality of the State, at a given moment, is all these questions. And I don’t want to question them” he explains before saying: “I am for the right to be different, but not the difference of rights“
Nabil Boukili (PTB), also gives his point of view: “I am above all for the right of everyone to have a job and the veil should not be a reason for discrimination“. Christophe Deborsu quickly questions her about the wearing of the veil for police officers: “There are countries that do it“, he replies. The candidate ends up answering in the affirmative: “Yes, the veil should not be a reason for discrimination. We are for the emancipation of women and they must not be discriminated against based on their clothes“.
You are not going to come and give us lessons
When Nabil Boukili specifies that these are “other countries like Iran that do it“and that the PTB is not”not for this model“, Pierre-Yves Jeholet reacts: “You are not going to come and give us lessons here in Belgium. There are rules, we respect them. If you don’t like it, you don’t have to stay in Belgium“, he says.
A few moments later, Christophe Deborsu questions the liberal again about his remarks: “It doesn’t look like you“, he says. Pierre-Yves Jeholet explains: “At a given moment, we call into question a series of principles. And in particular the neutrality of the State. And so, I am attached to the neutrality of the State. And when I hear Mr. Boukili, at a given moment, there are rules to respect“.
Nabil Boukili asks all the same: “Where do you want me to come back?“. The Minister-President defends himself: “No, I didn’t say that. No, there is state neutrality and there are rules in Belgium. And that’s true for everything. At some point, it’s still normal. When we talk about the demonstration in Uccle, I say: we can demonstrate, but there are rules to respect. And those who do not want to respect them, at some point,…“
meeting pierre-yves jeholet
 and Nabil Boukili (PTB)){kind=link}