While the City of Ghent has authorised the lighting up of certain shopping streets for Ramadan, the Mouvement Réformateur stresses the importance of preserving the neutrality of public space and defending Belgium's cultural heritage.
For MR President Georges-Louis Bouchez, this initiative, funded and coordinated by an association, risks opening a Pandora's box: “This is not acceptable, because then we would have to start doing it for any religious celebration of any community. That makes no sense. We are a country of Judeo-Christian tradition, even if some forget it.”
The MR points out that the neutrality of the State and municipalities does not conflict with religious freedom, but requires consistency in the organisation of public space. Christmas decorations, for example, belong to a cultural tradition and are not an act of worship. Lighting up specific religious events, however, is a religious act.
For Georges-Louis Bouchez: “There is no reason to give up our traditions or blur the cultural landmarks on which our society is founded. Defending our values means guaranteeing a common framework of unity, while respecting everyone's beliefs.”
The MR thus reaffirms its commitment to a model of society in which living together relies on everyone's freedom and the neutrality of institutions, without confusion between the public sphere and religious celebrations.