Belgium is divided over the veil in schools: ban in Flanders, permissiveness in Molenbeek
Flanders is committed to banning students and teachers; Molenbeek (Brussels) is debating allowing religious symbols.
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The controversy over the Islamic veil returns to the centre of public debate in Belgium. While The province of East Flanders approves a ban on its use in public schools, while in the Brussels municipality of Molenbeek, the exact opposite is being considered.To allow religious symbols in schools, including the veil. Two opposing directions that reflect the country's political and social fracture.
In Belgium there is no general rule prohibiting the veil in state schools, and Each educational centre can decide autonomously whether or not to allow visible religious symbols.. This regulatory ambiguity has generated inequalities between schools and The Team Fouad Ahidar movement has tabled a motion to guarantee by law the right to wear a veil in Molenbeek., with the aim of unifying criteria and defending religious freedom in the classroom.
East Flanders: the Vlaams Belang imposes its hard-line stance
The East Flanders Provincial Council has resolved the ambiguity. voting to ban the Islamic veil in provincial educational institutions. Although the measure has been presented by the governing coalition, It has been possible thanks to the explicit support of the Vlaams Belang party.. The main argument is to reinforce the “neutrality” of public spaces and to ensure “orderly coexistence.”.
This decision has been heavily criticised by human rights groups and representatives of the Muslim community, who lconsider it a form of religious discrimination. It has also aroused suspicion among some more moderate Flemish parties, who view with concern the normalisation of far-right support for public policies.
Molembek proposes just the opposite
Meanwhile, in Molenbeek-Saint-Jean, one of Brussels' most multicultural municipalities, the Team Fouad Ahidar movement has proposed the exact opposite: to authorise pupils and teaching staff to wear religious symbols in state schools. The proposal has not yet been voted on, but it has generated intense political and media debate.
The proponents of the initiative argue that The current ban on certain centres violates religious freedom and particularly penalises Muslim girls., who find themselves forced to choose between their faith and their education.
The motion, promoted by the Team Fouad Ahidar group in Molenbeek, It aims to combat discrimination against female teachers who wear the veil and, at the same time, to address the severe shortage of teaching staff in the region. They present the solution as a way of respecting «the choice to wear a religious symbol» and overcoming the shortage of teachers.
Although the motion was not approved due to the mayor's absence, it caused unease within the municipal council, especially among the majority.
Team Fouad Ahidar is a Belgian political party founded in February 2024 by the Brussels politician Fouad Ahidar, a former member of the Flemish socialist party Vooruit. Ahidar left Vooruit following disagreements over issues such as ritual slaughter and controversial comments from the party leadership. His new formation positions itself between the centre-left and a populist orientation, with a focus on defending minority rights., especially from the Muslim community, and the promotion of multiculturalism .
In the Belgian regional elections of June 2024, Team Fouad Ahidar surprised by winning three seats in the Parliament of the Brussels-Capital Region, becoming the second-largest Dutch-speaking political force in the capital. It also won a seat in the Flemish Parliament. This electoral success gave the party a potentially decisive role in forming governing coalitions in Brussels, although other parties have expressed reticence to collaborate with them due to their positions, which some consider controversial. .
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