‘France is a country of enlightenment, rights’

Islamabad : Living together and not side by side, the people of France are free to practice religion or no religion with the state being neutral in such matters, says Ambassador Jean-Christophe Peaucelle, an adviser on religious affairs to the French foreign ministry.

“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 told a group of Pakistani journalists in Paris.

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 the 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 said though France was predominantly Christian with sizable Muslim and Jewish communities, it was a country of freedom, enlightenment and rights.

He said France enacted 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 the 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 Muslims leaders to come forward and address notions about radical Islam.