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Double Standards? Veils and Crucifixes in the European Legal Order

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 June 2013

Christian Joppke
Christian Joppke*
Affiliation:
Department of Social Sciences, University of Bern [joppke@soz.unibe.ch].
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Abstract

Comparing the treatment of Islamic veils and Christian crucifixes by the European Court of Human Rights, this paper re-examines the charge of “double standards” on the part of this guardian of the European legal order, which is seen as disadvantaging Islam and favoring Christianity. While this is proved partially correct, the paper calls for a more differentiated treatment of the issue. For one, there is a modicum of consistency in the European Court’s decisions, because they are all meant to further “pluralism”. Only, Islam and Christianity fare differently in this respect, as “threat” to and “affirmation” of pluralism, respectively. This distinction hinges on Islam’s compatibility with the liberal-secular order, on which the jury is out. A possible way out of the “pluralism v. pluralism” dilemma, I argue, is signaled in the European Court’s recent decision in Lautsi v. Italy (2011), which pairs a preference for “culturalized” Christianity with robust minority pluralism.

Résumé

Un examen attentif de l’idée reçue selon laquelle la Cour européenne des droits de l’homme pratiquerait, en matière de religion, un double standard au détriment de l’Islam conduit à confirmer tout en nuançant. En effet une visée de cohérence s’affirme dans la référence de toutes les décisions au pluralisme. Mais celui-ci est entendu différemment, pour les chrétiens de façon positive, pour l’Islam de façon négative. La compatibilité de l’Islam avec l’ordre démocratique libéral n’est pas tenu pour acquis. On peut peut-être apercevoir une sortie du dilemme pluralisme contre pluralisme dans une décision de 2011(Lautsi contre Italie).

Zusammenfassung

Die Urteile des Europäischen Gerichtshofs für Menschenrechte (EGMR) über christliche Kreuze und das islamische Kopftuch werden daraufhin untersucht, ob der unter (kritischen) Juristen geläufige Vorwurf einer Ungleichbehandlung zugunsten der christlichen Religion berechtigt ist. Der Vorwurf eines „Doppelstandards“ ist tatsächlich nicht von der Hand zu weisen. Trotzdem sind die Urteile des EGMR zumindest in einer Hinsicht konsistent: sie alle geben vor, den „Pluralismus“ zu befördern. Nur werden Christentum und Islam unterschiedlich zum Pluralismus verortet: als „Bestätigung“ (im Falle des Christentums) oder als „Gefahr“ (im Falle des Islam). Die Triftigkeit dieser unterschiedlichen Positionierung von Christentum und Islam im Hinblick auf „Pluralismus“ hängt davon ab, ob der Islam tatsächlich mit einer liberal-säkularen Rechtsordnung kompatibel ist. Darüber besteht keine Klarheit, selbst nicht aus islamfreundlicher Perspektive. Ein möglicher Ausweg aus dem „Pluralismus vs. Pluralismus“ Dilemma deutet sich an in dem jüngsten Lautsi-Urteil der Grossen Kammer des EMGR, das eine Präferenz für ein „kulturalisiertes“ Christentum mit einem robusten Minderheitenpluralismus paart.

Keywords

secularismreligionliberalismsociology of lawIslamChristianityEuropeLaïcitéReligionLibéralismeSociologie du droitIslamChristianismeEuropeLaizismusReligionLiberalismusRechtssoziologieIslamChristentumEuropa
Type
Legal Order and The Public Sphere
Information
European Journal of Sociology / Archives Européennes de Sociologie , Volume 54 , Issue 1 , April 2013 , pp. 97 - 123
Copyright
Copyright © A.E.S. 2013 

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