France Does Not, And Will Never, Confuse Islam With Terrorism
By Ludovic Pouille
November
30, 2020
At a time
when France has once again been struck by terrorism and targeted by a hateful
online campaign instigated by those claiming the country is Islamophobic, it is
necessary to reiterate some facts.
France has
the utmost respect for Islam, a religion with which it has deep historical and
cultural ties. France does not, and will never, confuse Islam with terrorism.
On the one hand, we must all fight together to defeat terrorism in all its
forms. On the other, we must fight extremist tendencies and radical ideologies.
This is a battle we must fight alongside Muslims, who are the primary victims
of terrorism.
Islam is
France’s second-largest religion. As reaffirmed by the Minister of Foreign
Affairs, Jean-Yves Le Drian, the millions of Muslims in France rightfully
belong to our national community. This should never be questioned. Muslims in
France benefit, within the free exercise of their religion, from a protective framework
that we enforce in a spirit of equality among all religious denominations.
Here are
the facts. In France today, there are 3,000 places of worship for Muslims,
state television broadcasts an Islam-related show every week as part of an
evening devoted to religions and there are Muslim chaplains in the army and in
hospitals.
Public
authorities maintain a close dialogue with representatives of all religions,
including Muslim organizations that regularly reiterate the importance of all
citizens respecting the laws of the Republic, regardless of their religion.
This is what constitutes the foundation of the French nation.
With this
in mind, we want imams who preach in France to be trained in France. In
addition to religious studies, fluency in French and knowledge of the
Republic’s fundamental principles should be part of this training.
As for
foreign funding, we want it to be transparent in order for us to make sure that
it is not the driver of a radical ideology or divisions within French society.
Freedom,
equality and fraternity are universal values. They are not the property of a
state; it is up to each and every one of us to protect and promote them. We
must foster dialogue to strengthen mutual respect.
Those are
the principles upon which the democratic and secular model of our republic is
built. By not pitting communities against one another, the French model seeks
to be neutral and impartial and that is how it protects all of them. France has
included equality in its motto and strives to ensure everyone’s differences are
respected.
We are and
will remain vigilant in the face of any hate speech or racism. While there may
sometimes be tensions, our duty is to ease them. Discrimination and hate speech
go against our values. Our duty is to sanction them and this is what we are
doing.
Beyond the
protective legal framework, I would like to recall some facts that I consider
equally as fundamental.
France
would not be France without Muslims. France’s cultural history would not have
been the same without this centuries-old interaction with the Orient, which has
always fascinated and inspired our authors, painters, scientists and
architects.
We would
not be what we are today without the immense contribution made by artists,
intellectuals and creators from the Arab and Muslim world to our cultural
heritage, who also contribute to the universal French melting pot.
As the
French ambassador to Saudi Arabia, I will continue to strongly promote
intercultural dialogue between our two societies, between the youth of both countries
in particular, in an environment characterized by mutual respect and a constant
desire to understand one another because it is the responsibility of each and
every one of us to follow the path of dialogue and tolerance.
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Ludovic Pouille is the
French ambassador to Saudi Arabia.
Original Headline: France would not be France
without Arab and Muslim contribution
Source: The Arab News
URl: https://newageislam.com/islam-west/france-not,-never,-confuse-islam/d/123611
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