ZUBAIR QURESHI
IN PARIS, FRANCE People of France are free to practise their respective faiths or even they can have no religion with the state being neutral in such matters This was said by Ambassador Jean-Christophe Peaucelle, Adviser on Religious Affairs to the French Foreign Ministry during an interaction with a delegation of Pakistani journalists at his office in Ministry of Europe & Foreign Affairs. These journalists and senior media persons are on a weeklong trip of France to and learn French system of governance, fight against terrorism and global warming. “We (the French state) are neither for religion nor against it. We’re religiously neutral in our policies and actions, so the people have the freedom of religion or belief,” he said. Peaucelle said some considered religion to be the best thing in the world, while the others thought otherwise and some subscribed to both notions at the same time, but it was a fact that religion did exist in the French society and had an influence on it. “We, the French people, believe that the principle of Laicite (French concept of secularism) is more important than anything else as it helps us live together without caring about each other’s religions,” he said. The adviser replied to a number of queries by media persons on rise of Islamophobia, integration of migrants and their children in French society and said the French education was the best tool to integrate children from all nations, followers of different religions in French society. He said unfortunately terrorists and extremists were giving bad name to Islam which is a religion of peace, respect for humanity and mutual existence. Though France was predominantly Christian with sizeable Muslim and Jewish communities, it was a country of freedom, enlightenment and rights, he said. He said France adopted a law in 1905 to separate the church from the state for the secularisation of society. “The law is based on three principles, including the neutrality of the state, the freedom of religious exercise, and public powers related to the church,” he said. Peaucelle said the French government encouraged interfaith dialogue in society and was working on the integration of immigrant communities into society. He said the French government knew that religious actors, communities and authorities play an important role in a society’s life and international issues and therefore, it had a dialogue with them all to promote peace. The adviser said though he didn’t draw any connection between Islam and terrorism, attempts were made in the past for the violent radicalisation of Muslim youths in France. He said extremist behaviour of certain Muslims could be blamed on the state’s failure to integrate foreign settlers in society and some other factors but it was a reality that such conduct had fuelled Islamophobia. Peaucelle said it was the responsibility of Muslim leaders to come forward and address notions about radical Islam. He said the global radicalisation of religions was a subject of concern for France. “We need to discuss how to fight this phenomenon in which people get radicalised and become terrorists on behalf of religion,” he said. The adviser said Pakistan was to be a secular state as declared by its founder, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, but in the years after its creation, the state’s secular identity declined for different political reasons causing its religious dimensions to emerge. He insisted that during the evolution of Pakistani society, the religious groups became more and more powerful and the state had to make compromises with them by making favourable legislation and regulations. Ambassador Peaucelle said unlike some countries Muslim clerics were not given written sermon to be delivered in Friday congregations.
