In the current debate on secularism, it is good to distinguish the fundamental rights set out in the charters, both Canadian and Quebec, and the institutional rights which manage our institutions. The first concern every human being as such; they are universal and they can serve justice in the event of unjust discrimination with regard to ethically inadequate institutional treatment. Institutional rights defined by law and by rules specific to each institution cannot include respect for all cultures, including religions. Religious belief is a personal characteristic, which cannot serve as the basis for democratic institutions. From this point of view, the institutions of a country must be neutral in their rules to respect the principle of equality before the law of all citizens. As a personal belief, religious practice is expressed within the limits of the private. No person should be prevented from practicing their religion, but their religion or its manifestations, in terms of clothing or ornaments, must not invade institutional rules, at the risk of threatening their impartiality. In a secular school, religious symbols must be absent.
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