WEEK 5 Secularism/Laïcité

Laïcité if the French version of

secularism

What does Laïcité/Secularism mean?

state is neutral toward all religions, no official religion, guarantees freedom of belief and freedom of conscience

State is neutral toward all religions, no official religion, guarantees freedom of belied and freedom of conscience, comes from the 1905 law which is to

separate Church and State, designed to limit political power of the Catholic Church and public a modern republic where the state did not answer to religious authorities

The original goal of the 1905 law was to

protect individual freedom of thought

• people are free to believe, not believe, or change their beliefs

• state should not favor one religion over another

Religion was pushed into the private sphere, while public institutions (schools and government) were

supposed to stay neutral

Public spheres are (anything that represents the State or is run by the government)

• public schools

• government officials

• courts

• the police

• administration

Private Spheres are (where people can freely express religion)

• personal life

• home

• religious community

• private organizations

• daily life in society (street, stores, transportation)

Today, laïcité is written into the French Constitution and is seen as a

core republican value

The laïcité is supposed to ensure that

all citizens are equal before the law, regardless their religion or lack of religion

laïcité does NOT mean

being anti-religion; it means the state is “religion less”, not hostile to faith, its not tired to any religion

People can practice religion freely as long as

they respect public order and the rights of others

Public authorities must stay neutral but

citizens are allowed to express religion in public spaces, as long as they are not disrupting public order

laïcité is the product of a

long historical struggle between the French State and the Catholic Church

Over centuries from medieval conflicts with the Papacy to Gallicanism under Louis XIV, the Enlightenment and the French Revolution,

the state slowly asserted its authority over religious power

Late 19th and early 20th century

anticlerical politicians wanted to remove Church influence from schools and politics

1880s school laws made public education secular, and the 1905 law

finalized the separation of Church and State

History create a political culture where

the state sees itself as the guardian of national unity against religious interference

The French model is universalist, which means

in public life, people are seen first as citizens, not members of religious communities

Public spaces must look neutral in order to

protect equality and social cohesion, which is very different from a multicultural model that recognizes religious communities more openly

Universalism is key to understanding why

France is so strict about religious symbols in public institutions, especially schools

France and United States value

religious freedom and have formal separation of church and state, but they apply it different

The United States apply religious freedom and have a formal separation of Church and State by the

• “wall of separation”

  • it allows a lot of religious expression in public spaces and institution such as clubs in schools, government funds for faith based charities, and religious exemptions from certain laws allowed in the name of protecting religious rights

  • US model protects religious expression even if it means bending general rules

The French model of laïcité

focuses on protecting public space from religious influence and insists on a neutral state

• does not officially recognize or subsidize religions

• some exceptions: maintaining older church buildings, pay some teachers in private schools, recognizes religious holidays in the calendar

France emphasizes

neutrality and equality in public institutions

US emphasizes

freedom and visibility of religion

Since the 1980s France has become more

religiously diverse

• large growth of Muslim population

Laïcité originally designed to handle Catholic woer is now

being applied to Islam

Isalm is a

minority religion that is often visible through clothing, food practices, and worship

• made Laïcité much harder to apply and became more controversial

2004 law

banned conspicuous religious symbols in public schools

• hijabs, large crosses, kippahs and turbans

• the law applies to all religions but mostly affects muslim girls wearing headscarves

Headscarf ban & ban on the abaya in schools, government says that

it can be used as a religious symbol

• critics argue that they police muslim visibility, especially for young women

Many experts and activists argue that Laïcité is now being

misinterpreted or weaponized

Muslims feel to

hide their religious identities in public

Laïcité principles are changed into

pressuring certain groups to assimilate and become invisible

Nation wants everyone to simply be “French” but population continues to diversely increase

in ethnicity and religion

Disadvantages in suburban areas for many

immigrants and their children

What is the Charlie Hebdo?

Charlie Hebdo is a French satirical magazine known for mocking all forms of authority—politicians, the Church, the far right, religious extremists, and social institutions. It represents a long French tradition of radical satire.

What is the goal of gouaille, satire in French culture?

Satire aims to criticize power, hypocrisy, and extremism through humor, exaggeration, and provocation. In France, satire is seen as a protected form of free expression.

Why did Charlie Hebdo publish cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad?

The magazine said its intention was to criticize religious extremism and defend free speech, not to attack Muslims as a whole. This fits France’s tradition of allowing criticism of religions as ideas.

Why were the cartoons controversial internationally?

Many people outside France saw them as deeply offensive or Islamophobic because depictions of the Prophet are forbidden or sensitive in Islam. Some saw it as an attack on Muslims, not just on extremism.

What happened during the 2015 Charlie Hebdo attacks?

Armed extremists killed 12 people at Charlie Hebdo’s offices. A related attack occurred at a kosher supermarket. Together, these events sparked national and global outrage.

What does “Je suis Charlie” mean?

It means “I am Charlie.” The slogan became a global symbol defending free speech and the right to criticize religion without violence.

How does French law distinguish between attacking religion and attacking people?

• Ideas (including religions) can be mocked, criticized, or satirized.

• People must be protected from discrimination, hatred, and violence.
  This distinction is central to French views on laïcité and free speech.

Why is this distinction hard for some countries to accept?

In many cultures, religious symbols are sacred and cannot be separated from believers. Criticizing religion is seen as attacking the community.

Who and Why was Samuel Paty murdered?

He was a French history/civics teacher who showed Charlie Hebdo cartoons during a lesson on free speech and secularism—a normal part of the French curriculum.A false story about his lesson spread online; an extremist used this misinformation to target and kill him in 2020.

Why was Paty’s murder especially shocking to France? and the governments response

It was seen as an attack on the school, a sacred institution of the Republic where values like freedom, equality, and laïcité are taught, National mourning and a minute of silence

• Stronger calls for security and anti-extremism laws

• The “Paty amendment,” making it illegal to share personal information that could endanger someone (like a teacher)

How did the French Muslim react to Patys murder?

They condemned the murder but worried the government’s response would unfairly stigmatize all Muslims instead of focusing on a small extremist minority.

What is the “Separatism” law?

A law introduced by President Macron to fight “Islamist separatism” by regulating:

• online hate

• threats to public workers

• homeschooling

• religious associations

• foreign funding of religious groups

What does the government say the Separatism law defends?

Laïcité, equality, and the unity of the Republic.

Why do critics say the Separatism law targets Muslims?

Even if it doesn’t mention Islam, it was introduced after Islamist attacks, and many provisions heavily affect Muslim institutions, creating fear of monitoring and discrimination.

Why could the separatism law contradict laïcité?

Laïcité originally meant the state should not interfere in religious practice. Critics argue the law gives the state too much control over Muslim religious life.

Why are France’s problems not only about religion?

Many issues concern social inequality, discrimination, unemployment, and poor living conditions—especially in immigrant suburbs.

How can laïcité worsen tensions?

If used mainly as a security measure instead of a freedom-protecting principle, it can make Muslims feel targeted and excluded.

What do some young people in the suburbs feel?

They struggle to believe in “liberty, equality, fraternity” because they do not experience equality in education, jobs, or treatment by institutions.

What is the broader crisis?

A growing divide between Muslims and non-Muslims, and between marginalized suburbs and mainstream French society—raising the question of how to balance security, secularism, and inclusion.

How would you explain French society through the lens of secularism, and is it useful for understanding “Frenchness”?

French society is shaped by laïcité, a model of state neutrality rooted in the 1905 law that pushes religion into the private sphere, and it is a useful lens because it explains how France understands equality, public space, and national identity—though it must be paired with issues like discrimination and inequality to fully capture “Frenchness.”

Is French secularism divisive, misunderstood, or both?

French secularism is both divisive—because modern policies often disproportionately impact Muslims—and misunderstood, since laïcité was originally meant to guarantee freedom of conscience and state neutrality, not to erase religious visibility from society.