France, who has the same values as all democratic States, is probably one of the countries most committed to defending public and individual freedoms at home and everywhere else in the world. Her recent re-election to the UN Human Rights Commission by 52 out of 53 votes endorses the real image of our country in the concert of nations.
With regard to religious freedom, the campaign by certain European and American organizations is based on disinformation and a distortion of the facts and the law.
1. Separation of Church and State
The situation is clear: the separation of Church and State has been observed in France since the Act of 1905.
"The State neither recognizes nor subsidizes any religion." This means that everyone is free to believe in and practice the religion of his/her choice without any restriction. As in all States under the rule of law, religious observance must obviously be exercised within the context of the laws on security, public law and order, and respect for other citizens. Almost all faiths are represented in France and maintain regular relations with the public authorities.
2. Secularity
What is called "secularity" must never be confused with an anti-religious attitude. On the contrary, the principle of secularity makes a clear divide between what is a matter for individual conscience and personal choice, and what is a matter for the State which "neither recognizes nor subsidizes any religion".
In France the formation of the State and constitution of civil society have been achieved through a unique model. The State "emancipated" itself from the Church (French Revolution) leaving it up to the individual to choose to believe in and practice his faith. This is a radically different situation from that obtaining in other nations where the relationship to religion has been built on other historical bases, which may explain to some degree the present misunderstandings.
3. Sects and "New religious movements"
Freedom of conscience and religious observance applies equally to members of groups known as "sects" or "new religious movements" - bearing in mind that the State does not have to define what these terms encompass.
While it is sometimes necessary for the public authorities and courts to intervene, they do so to enforce law and order, in compliance with the laws which apply to all citizens in the same way, and to condemn the impairment of peoples’ lives and acts causing them physical or psychological duress. They also sometimes do so to apply tax rules to organizations whose religious or spiritual facade masks activities that are essentially commercial.
So it is not freedom of conscience or freedom of association which are being targeted but the criminal activities committed by individuals. One specific example: in October 2006, a trial ended involving members of a sect called the "Order of the Solar Temple" which had induced 70 people to take part in "collective suicides" in France, Switzerland and Canada. The sect in question has not been banned, but its members were tried for criminal acts.
4. Act to strengthen prevention and law enforcement with respect to action by sects violating Human Rights and fundamental freedoms
The new Act, known as the "About-Picard law" from the names of the two members of Parliament (a senator and deputy) who presented the Bill in Parliament, has been misrepresented.
The purpose of this Act, adopted on June 12th 2001, is not, as some people have mistakenly written, to ban sects as such but to hone the legal tools for dealing with criminal or illegal conduct - particularly "the fraudulent abuse of the state of ignorance or weakness" of especially vulnerable persons - by any individual or organization whatever its form.
Several parlementary reports prompted also the government to set up a national body in charge of analysing sects, informing the public and combating violations of human dignity and public order : the Interministerial Monitoring Mission Against Sectarian Abuses (MIVILUDES), established in November 2002, superseded the Watch set up in 1996 and an initial interministerial mission set up in 1998.
How can anyone find fault if organizations are convicted or even disbanded by the courts for impairing the lives or dignity of other citizens, engaging in torture or barbaric acts, illegally practiCing medicine or preventing children from receiving the education required under the law./.
Principal religions
The French Republic is a secular state where all religious faiths and denominations are represented:
Catholics: 47,000,000, 81.4% of the population
Moslems: 4,000,000, 6.89% of the population
Protestants: 950,000, 1.64% of the population
Jews: 500,000, 0.85% of the population
Buddhists: 400,000, 0.68% of the population
Orthodox: 200,000, 0.34% of the population
Other: 4,700,000, 8.12% of the population
Source : PRIME MINISTER / Legal and Technical Office of Information and Communication
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