Reclaiming 'neutrality' in the debate on religious dress bans

Prohibitions on religious dress perpetuate existing structural inequalities and obstruct the economic empowerment of visibly Muslim women, whom they have been shown to target. A commonly used argument in favor of prohibiting individuals from wearing any visible signs of political, philosophical, or religious belief in the workplace is that such a ban on personal expression is required to ensure neutrality. However, this is patently false. Instead, neutrality entails the achievement of equality in an environment that encompasses diverse beliefs and backgrounds—which is impossible, so long as Muslim women are stigmatized
and excluded because of their religious attire.