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Bill: Public Neutrality
Details
Submitted by[?]: Liberale Partij (L)
Status[?]: defeated
Votes: This is an ordinary bill. It requires more yes votes than no votes. This bill will not pass any sooner than the deadline.
Voting deadline: March 2580
Description[?]:
| "Public servants have to promise political neutrality" argues one liberal think-tank. "Yet they are allowed to blatantly display bias in their choice of religious wear." |
Proposals
Article 1
Proposal[?] to change The state's policy concerning religious clothing.
Old value:: There are no laws regulating the wearing of religious clothing and the wearing of religious symbols.
Current: There are no laws regulating the wearing of religious clothing and the wearing of religious symbols.
Proposed: Public officials are not allowed to wear religious symbols while exercising their duties.
Debate
These messages have been posted to debate on this bill:
| Date | 07:31:43, May 21, 2008 CET | From | Hutori Conservative Council | To | Debating the Public Neutrality |
| Message | Absurdity. Someone's religious persuasion does not necessarily dictate their political leanings - yes, there are many Christian conservatives, but many other Christians are, in fact, liberal rather than conservative. There have even been Christian socialists. We feel that an integral part of freedom of religion is freedom to express religious faith, even if that is through symbollic gestures such as wearing a cross necklace. Public servants should not be exempt from this freedom just because they are supposed to excercise neutrality. If public servants were wearing a burqa or a hijab, however, we could see why this may be more problematic. |
| Date | 07:35:56, May 21, 2008 CET | From | Liberale Partij (L) | To | Debating the Public Neutrality |
| Message | Now, now, does the religion then matter to the Conservative Council? Because as it is, all Hutori citizens surely ought to be equal before the law? If Islamic expressions of faith by public servants make the HCC nervous, then they should take a principled stance and recognise that public officials should not be allowed to wear religious symbols while exercising their duties. |
| Date | 13:07:12, May 21, 2008 CET | From | Hutori Conservative Council | To | Debating the Public Neutrality |
| Message | The only reason Islmic expressions of faith, such as the burqa or the hijab, may be innappropriate for public servants is that they are more obvious and extraverted than a simple cross around the neck or a ring. And muslims are not one of the major religions in Hutori, so it may not be appropriate in the public sphere. But we believe that there are varying degrees of expressions of faith - a small cross necklace or a ring or another sentimental expression of Christian faith should surely be acceptable, not only because they are subtle but because Christianity is a very widely practiced religion and is recognized by the state as such. But we do believe that there are limits on the expressions of faith, and we think that things like burqas, hijabs and turbans may be outside of these limits, as public servants should surely reflect the norms and widely accepted customs of the people of Hutori. Unfortunately, because we believe that mostly Christian servants will be targeted by this legislation, we cannot accept it in its current form. |
| Date | 13:52:43, May 21, 2008 CET | From | Groene ArbeidersPartij | To | Debating the Public Neutrality |
| Message | Neither can we. A liberal party should understand that this bill is against the base principles of freedom. |
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Voting
| Vote | Seats | ||||
| yes | Total Seats: 93 | ||||
| no |
Total Seats: 208 | ||||
| abstain | Total Seats: 0 |
| Random fact: Make sure to check out Particracy's wiki. http://particracy.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page |
| Random quote: "If gays are granted rights, next we'll have to give rights to prostitutes and to people who sleep with St. Bernards and to nailbiters." - Anita Bryant |