Often when a religious minority challenges mainstream customs, the phrase "reasonable accommodation" is at the centre of the ensuing debate. But does reasonable accommodation achieve its goal of integrating the rights of religious minorities with those of mainstream society, or does it really emphasize inequality? Reasonable Accommodation seeks to define the meaning of this phrase and to provide a much-needed critical assessment of its use within Canada and abroad. Woven throughout is commentary about whether there really is a religious majority in Canada, how the idea of "shared values" obscures debate, and how tolerating religious differences simply isn't enough to guarantee equality.

Contents

Introduction: Exploring Reasonable Accommodation / Lori G. Beaman

1 Religion and Immigration in a Changing Canada: The Reasonable Accommodation of "Reasonable Accommodation"? / Peter Beyer

2 Religion in Court, Between an Objective and a Subjective Definition / Solange Lefebvre

3 Identity Quietism and Political Exclusion / Avigail Eisenberg

4 Veiled Objections: Facing Public Opposition to the Niqab / Natasha Bakht

5 Public Responses to Religious Diversity in Britain and France / James A. Beckford

6 Beyond Reasonable Accommodation: The Case of Australia / Gary D. Bouma

7 One of These Things Is Not like the Other: Sexual Diversity and Accommodation / Heather Shipley

8 Religion as a Multicultural Marker in Advanced Modern Society / Ole Riis

Conclusion: Alternatives to Reasonable Accommodation / Lori G. Beaman

List of Contributors

Index