Following the dramatic events of recent times in Toulouse and Montauban (and minor yet significant events, such as the desecration of Jewish graves in the Nice cemetery), Christian Estrosi, in his capacity as President of Fraternité Alpes-Maritimes, called together all the institutions, faiths, and associations that are part of it, for a demonstration of solidarity and a call for unity to avoid any misunderstanding and escalation.
This spirit of gathering around common values allowed the present authorities, Christian Estrosi, Mayor of Nice and President of Nice Metropolis, then Eric Ciotti, President of the General Council, and Patrick Allemand, 1st Vice-President of the Regional Council, to affirm with one voice their attachment to the Republic and to call for the unity of everyone against barbarism.
It is time to say that, fundamentally, there are two ways to confront things: the way of crusades and the way of Saint Martin. The former is to feel at war with everyone to assert one’s indisputable “truth”; The latter is the way of listening and understanding, oh how difficult it can be sometimes, the reasons of others, to consider them, and even to make them one’s own if they are recognized as better.
We challenge the manipulation and accentuation of divisions in our country: racial, social, religious, ethnic, skin color divisions.
These divisions are used by authorities and some political forces to overshadow the fundamental division: the social divide. Discrimination is no longer an isolated fact, it is systemic and creates a separate class of citizens.
We defend the secularity of the law of 1905 in both spirit and letter. Therefore, we denounce its instrumentalization by some, which pits secularity and religion against each other as two irreconcilable entities.
Secularity could only oppose religions always presented as dogmatic, obscurantist, and dangerous. Spirituality and its values would be reserved only for the intimate or private sphere, opposing it to the social, political, public sphere. On the contrary, it is urgent to promote the spirit of the fathers of the 1905 law: an inclusive secularity that doesn’t exclude any population, a secularity that allows the public dialogue of both religious and non-religious positions.
This is the best way to strengthen religions synonymous with freedom of conscience and to push back religious currents of alienation. The fear of communitarianism should not overshadow the positive role of communities in enriching social ties and building a society that is both one and diverse.
Let’s stop the everyone against everyone, which produces personal suffering and social violence, which allows the emergence of fears and discriminations.
We must embrace difference, not conflict: name these divisions to think about them and act on them, work on our own fears, help people work on theirs…
Today, a common public action against ideologies and injustices is essential. Yes, we want to support those who act in terms of resistance, active non-violence, innovation, and, of course, justice, hope, and love for one’s neighbor.
France is the homeland of Jacques Maritain, who wrote “Integral Humanism” in 1936.
The Christian philosopher, with his foresight, well understood the difficulties if societies were to abandon their constitutive values.
The responsible members of Fraternité Alpes-Maritimes would do well to draw inspiration from it in their actions.
