Saturday, February 21, 2004
Few weeks ago, the French education minister made a curious remark on the banning of religious symbols – he said that beards may classify as religious symbol and be also banned. This new episode just highlights the foolishness of a law, which restricts civil liberties behind a secular curtain.
The state is laic – is a duty –, the individual not – is a right.
The institutions should not use religious symbols the individual can do it.
Some weeks before, the arguments were exactly the opposite in Italy. Somebody complained about the presence of crucifixes in the classrooms and won. The indignation that went through whole Italy generated several demonstrations of support of the church. Forbidding the presence of the crucifix in the classroom is an attack on the Italian culture, they say.
