Roots of the Establishment of Secularism in the U.S. and France

What makes the approach France takes in promoting secularism different than that of the U.S.?



On Monday April 15, the Brookings Institution sponsored a discussion in Washington, D.C., moderated by Brookings senior fellow, E.J. Dionne Jr., relating to the French ban on wearing religious 'symbols' such as the hijab.



French writer Justin Vaisse promoted the idea of enforcing the ban, while Ms Raja Elhabti, a Moroccan scholar, who works for Muslim Women for Human Rights, a Washington group, and Pakistani journalist Husain Haqqani of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace defended a woman's right to wear the hijab.



Mr. Vaisse pointed out what could possibly be seen as the essence in the difference between secularism in France and in the States. In the latter, the purpose of establishing a secular state was to avoid the interference of the government in church matters; in France, however, the idea was to protect the new French democracy from the Catholic church which was socially dominant and opposed to secular democracy. He stressed that what was at work was the French principle called “laicite” which meant balancing religious freedom and public order. Contrary to secularism, it was a principle of “religious neutrality” in order to create conditions for religious freedom (dailytimes.com.pk). But is banning a religiously-mandated headscarf, and effectively denying people the freedom to practice their religion, "religious neutrality"?



Though this may be true, it is important to consider that we are now in the 21st century. Shall we not move on beyond the history of the Catholic Church's involvement in France? This becomes an important question to consider knowing that about 8.3 percent of France's population are Muslims.



But France's ban of the hijab has not only affected its citizens. The plague of this version of secularism has now spread to a southern state in Germany, where hijab has now been banned for teachers.



Thus, the people of France need to reexamine the direction in where their country is headed. Afterall, do they really want to live in a so-called democratic country where religious oppression is being enforced on a federal level?