Population
59 million
92% French
3% North African
2% German
1% Breton
2% Other
Capital City
Paris
Leadership
Prime Minister
Jean-Pierre Raffarin
President
Jacques Chirac
Religion
90% Roman Catholic
2% Protestant
1% Muslim
1% Jewish
6% unaffiliated
French
Ambassador
to the
U.S.
Ambassador François
Bujon de l'Estang
Embassy of France
4101 Reservoir Road, NW
Washington DC 20007
Phone: (202) 944-6000
Fax: (202) 944-6166
BIO
A dangerous new law has been passed in France which threatens the existence of any religious
group not deemed acceptable by the government.
According to the European Center for Law and Justice's
Joel Thornton, "The National Assembly has effectively
declared battle on religious liberties in France. The law
says that if your religious group is not approved by the
government, you could be shut down and put in jail. This
new law is very troubling because it seems to contradict
the commitment made by France in ratifying the Euro-
pean Convention on Human Rights which guarantees
protection of religious liberties of all persons in France."
In a
country where recent incidents indicate an already
high level of anti-Semitism, such a law
provides the
impetus for further hate action against any
religious
minority in the region.
The
law could impose a sentence of up to five years of
detention and a fine of up to $750,000 for
causing a
"state of subjection" either
physical or psychological,
through the "exercise of serious and
repeated pressures
or techniques aimed at altering the
capacity of judgment."
Such
vagueness leaves the law open to abuses includ-
ing discrimination based upon faith, which
could be used
against completely legitimate missions
groups or church
movements. And the complainant needs
virtually no
evidence of offense to initiate
proceedings. Members of
the Council of Europe are investigating
under the terms
of religious discrimination.
How can I help?
Contact
CSW-France
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