The American magazine "Time" published an article by the French journalist Maryam Francois, in which she considered that the terrorist attacks that France was subjected recently to, are not a source of threat to its values.
Rather, it is the response to these attacks that poses a threat to the values of the Republic.
Francois explained that it is now urgent for France's leaders to stick to the republican values they claim to represent.
And she said that French President Emmanuel Macron, following the terrorist attacks on France, the most recent of which was the killing of teacher Samuel Patty last October and the killing of 3 people in the Notre Dame Church in Nice, stated that France was targeted by terrorists because of its principles of freedom of expression. , Freedom of belief, and lifestyle in it.
Macron also claimed - the author says - that a form of "Islamic separatism" had found fertile ground for its ideals in some parts of the country. To counter this, Macron announced his plan that preaches "French Islam", that is, a practice of Islam that is subject to state control.
Francois commented on Macron's statements that the presidents, who succeeded in leading France, have sought for more than 4 decades to manage the state's relationship with the Muslim minority of ethnic and sectarian diversity, and to deal with it in the absence of an official leadership structure that might provide a mediator.
But the endeavors had little merit, as chiefs struggled to gain recognition from the community.
Therefore, endeavors such as those of Macron, which try to define for Muslims the basis of their beliefs, are unlikely to be accepted by the Muslim minority, not to mention the cynicism of a secular leader defining the conditions for religious practice.
Deny the values of France
The author explained that the concept of secularism in France imposes a strict separation between the state and the sphere of personal beliefs, and was originally designed to protect individuals from state interference, and to protect the state from the influence of religion.
But in recent years secularism has been used increasingly to do the opposite of what it was designed for;
To continuously infringe on the privacy of Muslim citizens: from the dress code, to food needs, and religious education, as the French authorities have sought to ban all of this in recent years.
Despite President Macron's insistence that the problem is not in Islam, but rather in the rejection of republican principles and the words of the author of the article, the issues on which his government's speech and policies focused on made many feel otherwise.
Issues such as the ongoing discussions about the headscarf, the controversy that arose over swimming lessons for women only, to the Minister of the Interior demonstrating shocked about the allocation of space for halal products in supermarkets, all describing the daily habits of Muslims' life as examples of "separatism", which the state links to terrorism.
Amnesty International denounced the “hostile climate and discriminatory rhetoric” towards Muslims in France in a report issued last year entitled “Discrimination against Muslims: the state must act,” in which it highlighted the speech of the French Minister of the Interior, in which he listed matters that are considered fundamental to freedoms. Religious;
This included praying, fasting and growing a beard, considering it a "sign of extremism."
The author listed information and examples of manifestations of discrimination against the Muslim minority in France, and asked whether the specter of terrorism really justifies the abandonment of the democratic principles, for which people fought and died?
And she concluded by saying, "Our values are not threatened by these attacks; rather they are threatened by our response to them. It is now urgent for our leaders to adhere to the republican values that they claim to represent."