The “burkini” affair clearly showed that the climate remains tense between defenders of personal freedom and those who exploit every possible opportunity to express their Islamophobia. It is a reality that must be acknowledged.
Then there are the instigators, those who stir up hatred for petty electoral gains: at the forefront are the small ideologues of the Falangist right, gathered around Nicolas Sarkozy for the Les Républicains primary.
The Council of State reinstated the law in the case of the Villeneuve-Loubet decree with its ruling, but that does not mean that fines or beach removals have ended: the methods persist.
Accidents are always possible, and this is what some seek to fan the flames, pitting people against each other, as this ultimately serves their purpose by fostering a toxic climate conducive to the radicalization of positions and the measures they advocate.
In this chaos, there are fortunately still voices advocating for the necessity to calm the debate on the issue while affirming certain principles.
They are welcome.
One such voice is Hervé Cael, departmental president of the Radical Party, who rightly reminds us that “secularism is the neutrality of the State with regard to all religious or philosophical beliefs, which must be able to be freely exercised in the private sphere, but it must also ensure civil peace and respect for human dignity, particularly women’s rights.”
He also states: “If the 1905 law should not be challenged and republican secularism applied more firmly than ever, the burkini debate shows the urgency for the Government to clarify with all concerned parties — national and local elected officials, religious association representatives — the application of the legislation on secularism, and to take the necessary measures to ease the national climate.”
To move beyond mere rhetoric, the Radical Party notably reiterates its proposals, which seem interesting: “establishing a unified and clarified framework for all subjects related to religious life, creating a High Authority for Secularism responsible for the proper implementation of the law, which could be consulted by communities and associations in case of practical difficulties, and setting up as quickly as possible a representative organization of Islam in France.”
