Laïcité, faith, and freedom of speech the French way
September 28th, 2012 | Published in Comment, Features | 12 Comments
Charlie Hebdo fait la une. A detail from the front page of ‘Le Parisien’ newspaper, 20th Sept, 2012
Miracle Maid is a Bilingual British Blogger based in the Grésivaudan who writes and rants in French and English. She shares a recent post with Grenoble Life.
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A right Charlie
Now let me see, that would be FREEDOM OF THE PRESS. Is that it? Let’s not forget we live in a lay republic and that religion has no place in public life. It’s a private affair and everyone is free to worship as they like but they must respect the sacrosanct (oops, there goes a loaded word) laïcité of the Republic. Mon cul-te.
Looking forward to the vacances de la Toussaint? Already stocking up on the chocolate advent calendars on sale in the shop to prepare for the vacances de Noël. Still not quite sure if the lundi de Pentecôte is a jour férié or not? Looking forward to your days off for lundi de Pâques or the jeudi de l’Ascension? Isn’t it great that we can take one fewer day in August from our congès payés thanks to the Virgin Mary’s Assomption?
France is simply oozing with Christian references wherever you turn, and understandably so given the history of the nation. The clocher at the end of my road serenades me every Sunday at 7am sharp. One of my best friends is a practicing Christian (gasp!). But like the nuclear cloud of Chernobyl, one’s beliefs – of whatever confession – don’t stop by magic at the school gates. Religion is not taught in schools in France (although the Bible is used as a literary reference in collège, because of course the original version was written in French …) so that should reassure the Mr et Mme Laïc that their children will not all end up in seminaries and convents when Pôle Emploi fails to deliver after a Bac +5.
But no, the government has to go even further and ban all external signs of religious appartenance as if there is danger of a sort of Saul-on-the-road-to-Damascus conversion under the préau à la récré. Or worse (Nirvana forbid) we will all be forced to eat halal ham and kosher kebabs in the canteen. Call me naïve (or Eve if you prefer) but I can’t help but smell a rank hypocrisy in all this lay self-righteousness that smacks of trying to maintain the status quo in a multicultural society that threatens some outmoded notion of la Patrie. The early 20th century’s (well deserved?) bashing of the Catholic clergy gives legitimacy to deriding the modern day equivalent that Islam represents.
There is such an atavistic anti-clerical psyche in French society that it generates irrational fears of a return to theological interference in the democratic process. France suffered for so many centuries from the abuses and corruption of the Catholic church that the powers that be threw the baby (Jesus) out with the bathwater. Résultat : Laïc = good, croyant = bad. Or at the very least said croyant must not be allowed near the statute book.
The BIG problem is that to Mr Tout le Monde all Muslims are Arabs, all Arabs are Muslims and all Muslim Arabs are unable to fit into French society because they are all too busy sending funds to Al Qaeda. Perleeeeeze! It seems to me that a little religious instruction in schools would go a long way to eradicate ignorance and apartheid in La Douce France at an age where children are still hopefully tolerant of difference and open to being guided towards humanistic ends. The slippery slope to racism is littered with remarks about people’s religious beliefs, foodstuffs and customs.
Charlie Hebdo’s petite blague reminds me of the Vichy propaganda posters (great artwork n’est-ce pas?) of occupied France so decried by today’s French citizens (alas not by all by any means – some still think Hitler could have made more of an effort … )
François Hollande has just got round to asking forgiveness for the stain of French collaboration in the deportation of thousands of French Jews and off we go again on another them and us bandwagon. But hey that was then and there were nasty, evil Nazis in the equation. This is now and we journos are just having a bit of fun. If we can’t mock religion our fundamental freedoms are in danger. Nice logic for the chattering classes.
It is however one thing (and a healthy one thing) to mock religious customs and rituals where they simply reveal unwarranted privilege and abuse, quite another to attack the fundamental beliefs of one’s compatriots. Come down to my corner of la France Profonde and see what societal damage such journalistic jinks can cause. In my small town my Muslim friend – one of my best friends is a practicing Muslim (gasp!) – has noticed a shift in mentality where everything Muslim is associated with extremism, terrorists and danger. Du pain béni (!) for the Front National. Jehovah help us. When asked where she is from she now replies ‘Sweden’ … (it’s that Muslim sense of humour winning through). The head of my local primary school felt within her rights to berate said friend for her son missing school to celebrate l’Aïd El-Fitre. Maybe if there was a ‘lundi or jeudi de l’Aïd’ she wouldn’t have needed to.
As to the headline ‘Intouchables 2’ it would seem that if any one community in France is ‘touchable’ en permanence it is that of North African descent. French Muslims (many second generation immigrants from the Maghreb, Mauritania – from where hails Omar Sy the original ‘Intouchable’, Mali, etc.) can’t put one foot forward without an avalanche of commentary, debate, criticism. Probably how the Huguenots felt before they scarpered to Petty France …
So the free press would do well to take a leaf out of Dave Allen’s good book – “I’m an atheist, thank God” and stop stirring the hornet’s nest. Tell it like it is Dave : Let your god go with you.
© Miracle Maid 2012
September 28th, 2012 at 9:42 am (#)
I agree with quite a lot of this. My feeling is that secularism rather loses it’s egalitarian spirit when it becomes a dogmatic and marginalising force in itself.
I also agree that religion should be taught in schools. How can children be expected to understand history (European and beyond) if they aren’t taught the basic tenets of different faiths?
Thanks Miracle Maid!
September 28th, 2012 at 12:01 pm (#)
And I totally agree with you James and Miracle Maid.
It has always surprises me how many ‘Christian’ holidays we have in France when we are meant to live in a secular society. And I’m a Christian!
I had a student come up to me in my lecture the other day asking if she could wear her headscarf as other lecturers had told her she would be kicked out of their classes if she continued to defy ‘non-headscarf wearing’ policy. I have to say I don’t understand this either. Isn’t a fundamental human right to be able to wear whatever you want, to express yourself? Although I do think this student was in a sense wanting to ‘provoke’ a reaction. But we all live in multicultural societies these days… I just don’t understand how wearing a scarf or a cross for that matter can hurt society? Please enlighten me further on this issue.
September 29th, 2012 at 10:46 am (#)
It is comprehensible that the French wish to ensure assimilation after the actions of their government during the last world war. It is their way under the new Republic of ensuring everyone is of equal standing. However I feel they have very much missed the point and taken a wrong turn at the crossroads. Keeping people in the dark about the strange family who lives next door, won’t necessarily stop the trading of minority groups for blood money in the future.
The entire reason for our evolution from burning witches at the stake into a civlised and tolerant society is education. Knowledge eradicates assumption, fear and henceforth prejudiced opinion/action. Knowledge allows us to make a choice about the words we use and the actions we take.
I would strongly urge the French government to re-think it’s policy on religious eduction. France is a civilised, sophisticated and (more importantly) informed society.
Three generations from now, will this still be the case?
September 29th, 2012 at 2:50 pm (#)
How ironic that now distinctive signs of religious affiliation are banned whereas in the 30s the government was busy tagging Jews with the Star of David – “marquons les pour mieux les connaître”. So fickle these politicians (but that’s a whole other article!!) ‘Life of Pi’ gives a lovely account of taking the best from all faiths.
October 16th, 2012 at 1:30 pm (#)
Just for the record, religion is taught in schooll, as part of the history and geography programme.
Whilst I do agree with some of the points you make Minute Maid, generalising and slaying “the French” is a bit of an easy short-cut. ;-)
October 16th, 2012 at 3:18 pm (#)
oops just committed suicide then because I am French, innit?
October 18th, 2012 at 7:16 pm (#)
Religion is taught in French schools as part of the History and civilization and geography programme.I agree with Hello 38 This is simply British people who want the english model of Multiculturalism to be the status quo in France as well.This will not happen guys though we can of course pray for miracles.It will not happen because the intellectual and historical roots of secularism in France are well founded and justified on many grounds.Why should France become what James and The maid of Holy miracles want, namely The United Kingdom?As Richard Dawkins,The late great Christopher hitchins,Betrand Russell and other great anglophone intellectuals and atheists have said so often “religion does not have to be respected” and comparing Adolf Hitler Nazis and the persecution of the jEWS and Charlie Hebdo is incredibly stupid as well as sad.The violent protests and threats of murder are all coming from one source;Hebdo is not out to cut throats etc, and by the way the teaching of religion in schools does not increase tolerance wherever do we get such ideas?This is just French bashing from pissed off Expats dressed up as a pious plea for tolerance.I expect James will issue me with a clerical slap on the wrist and say That we must RESPECT” Religion AS ITS RIGHT or OTHER FAITHS as he so quaintly puts it, No we dont James THATS FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION!,and the holy britsh maid of Miracles is indeed british and a liar
October 19th, 2012 at 4:25 pm (#)
Hi Gerry,
I see we have rattled your proverbial cage.
I have nothing against secularism. I think the core values, of which many French are justly proud, are noble and admirable.
But I do think race-relations in France are getting more tense and divisive, and I can sympathize with Muslims who feel that they are being disproportionately targeted by some of the recent secular policies prohibiting freedom of religious expression. Moreover I think they are counterproductive, as the long-term could be a greater sense of marginalization from mainstream society and that will not result in anything positive.
I do believe in freedom of expression but, like the Charlie Hebdo cartoon, I don’t condone unnecessarily offensive provocation – which is also what internet trolling is Gerry, as you well know.
James
October 20th, 2012 at 1:08 pm (#)
“The teaching of religion in schools does not increase tolerance”.
I would say that it can contribute, but only if reinforced in the home, in the workplace,in the media. Otherwise one day someone who has never met you might sidle up to you just as you were about to recite a Surat or light a candle in the Watt and say ‘you are stupid, sad and a liar’and demand to see your carte nationale d’identité to check that you were not masquerading as a French citizen. Can you imagine such a scenario? No, get a grip, that would be just cray-zeee.
November 16th, 2012 at 12:18 am (#)
Hi Maid of Miracles and James ,
Firstly Freedom of expression means pissing someone of or someones fundementalist beliefs otherwise it is not free expression is it? Charlie hebdo has featured religious caricatures of Muhammed, Jesus and Moses etc etc and they have the perfect right to do so,If James and Miracle maid believe that they do not have the right to do so? WELL TOUGH; The secular ethos of France protects the freedom of expression and the separation of Church and state, this is not the case in England
November 16th, 2012 at 9:09 am (#)
Hi Gerry,
I agree with you that Charlie Hebdo has the right but I think their timing was very poor, given the tensions at that time – as many commentators pointed out.
But I also think that Freedom of Speech has its limits. We do have laws in Europe against inciting racial hatred, for instance. I think those laws are important – or do you think we have the right to say whatever we like whenever we like?
As I understand it there are no such laws in the US, where the religious right is allowed to distribute far more offensive material about muslims without fear of punishment (indeed these same groups were responsible for the video that sparkes global protests in the fist instance). Societies need their peoples to peacefully coexist, and invoking freedom of speech as a shield behind which we provoke others is an abuse of that right.
November 16th, 2012 at 10:10 am (#)
… to illustrate my point about the limits of free speech:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/sep/26/activist-new-york-anti-muslim-poster
… so my question to Gerry is. Do you want a society where interest groups can publish posters like this? Do you believe that any religious group are fair game for this kind of insult because “religion does not have to be respected”? And by the same token, were the police therefore right to arrest this woman since her faith inherently doesn’t count? Whose freedom of speech should we side with – the makers of the poster or that of the person defacing it?
My point is that one person’s freedom stops where another’s begins. People talk too much about freedom of speech when they should be invoking social contract. If we want a society where people do not openly insult each other there are sometimes absolute freedoms we have to forgo.