France Mulls Banning Religious Symbols at Schools

Commissioned by French President Jacques Chirac and put together by a team of experts, a report published this week concluded that it was in the national interest to ban the wearing of "conspicuous signs of political or religious affiliation."

The long-awaited paper, which is seen as the center-piece of a national debate on how to integrate Muslims into French society, advised the government to stand firm against militant Islamists trying to undermine official secularism.

The commission chairman, Bernard Stasi sees no alternative to banning Muslim headscarves in the climate of modern society. "There is no doubt that there are forces in France which are seeking to destabilize the republic. It is time for the republic to react and mark out the borders," said Stasi. He went on to stress the importance of respecting all spiritual options and religious freedom in the traditionally Catholic nation.

Critical reaction

All religious groups affected by proposals have called on President Chirac not to seek an outright ban on religious symbols in public schools. The leading French Rabbi, Joseph Sitruk and the Council of Christian Churches in France have both criticized the suggestion, saying that a ban would prevent the success of multi-religious integration.

France, which was once so Catholic it was called "the eldest daughter of the Church" now is home to five million Muslims and half a million Jews, the largest groups of their kind in Europe.

As a token of compensation for its hard line, the commission proposed that while Muslim headscarves, Jewish skullcaps and large Christian crosses should be removed from the education landscape, smaller religious symbols such as the Star of David, half moons or smaller crosses could still be worn openly.

It further suggested adding Yom Kippur, the Jewish day of atonement, and the Eid al-Kebir festival which marks the end of Islam's Ramadan month of fasting to the existing list of France's public school holidays.

Waiting game

The report has sparked mixed reactions in students across France. Conservative groups are in favor of a legal ruling, whilst those on the left are opposed to the laying down of this particular law, arguing that there have been no problems with students wearing religious symbols.

Chirac is expected to announce whether he will go ahead and seek a law banning "conspicuous" religious symbols next Wednesday. Although it could still swing either way, in a statement last week, he said he believed there was "something aggressive" about wearing headscarves in public educational establishments, adding that it contradicts the national principle of neutrality.