Everyone Together: Jacques Chirac

This interview is printed in "What Do We Do With A Difference? France and the Debate Over Headscarves in Schools". 

As the debate over girls wearing the headscarf in schools increased in France in 2003, President Jaques Chirac called a commission, the Stasi commission, to investigate the issue and make recommendations.  It recommended a series of actions to combat the social and religious tensions in the suburbs including adopting Jewish and Muslim religious holidays in the school calendar, additional emphasis on teaching about religion and other pluralistic educational curriculum changes. Other proposals included efforts to improve life in immigrant neighborhoods, as well as the development of a charter of laïcité or secularism to be recited at naturalization ceremonies for new citizens.

Among its recommendations was also a proposal to ban the veil in public schools, a measure that many felt should be central to a new law aimed at defending France's secularity. President Chirac defended the proposal to ban the veil and other large religious symbols in schools, and this was the only recommendation that the French legislature ended up adopting.

Here is President Jacques Chirac detailing his reasons for supporting the decision to ban the headscarf and other religious symbols in schools:

Splitting society into communities cannot be the choice for France. It would be contrary to our history, traditions and culture. ... Secularism guarantees freedom of conscience. It protects the freedom to believe or not to believe. It guarantees everyone the possibility of expressing and practicing their faith, peacefully and freely, without the threat of the imposition of other convictions or beliefs. It allows women and men from all corners of the globe, from all cultures, to be protected in their beliefs by the Republic and its institutions....

Like all freedoms, freedom of expression of religious beliefs can be limited only by the freedom of the Other and observance of the rules of life in society. Religious freedom, which our country respects and protects, cannot be hijacked. It cannot undermine the common rule. It cannot impinge on the freedom of conviction of others. It is this subtle, precious and fragile balance, patiently built up over decades, which respect for the principle of secularism ensures. And this principle is an opportunity for France. This is why it is set down in Article 1 of our Constitution. This is why it is not negotiable! ...

We must also reaffirm secularism at school, because school must be completely protected. School is first and foremost the place where the values, bequeathed to us, all are acquired and passed on. The instrument par excellence for entrenching the Republican idea... School is a republican sanctuary which we must defend. ... To protect our children, so that our youngsters are not exposed to divisive ill winds, which drive people apart and set them against one another...

In all conscience, I consider that the wearing of clothes or signs which conspicuously denote a religious affiliation must be prohibited at school. Discreet signs, for example a Cross, a Star of David or Hand of Fatima, will of course remain allowed. On the other hand, conspicuous signs, i.e., those which stand out and immediately denote religious affiliation, must not be tolerated. These-the Islamic veil, regardless of the name you give it, the Kippa, or a Cross of a clearly excessive size-have no place in State schools. State schools will remain secular.... It is to make the young people involved understand what is at stake and protect them from influences and passions which, far from liberating them or allowing them to make free choices, constrain or threaten them. ... On the other hand-and the question has been raised-I do not think it necessary to add new national holidays to the school calendar, which already has many....

I very solemnly proclaim: the Republic will oppose everything which divides, everything which discourages participation, and everything which excludes! The rule is "everyone together" because this places everyone on an equal footing, because it refuses to distinguish on the grounds of sex, origin, color or religion.