First modification: 16/02/2021 – 22:22
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French deputies widely approved on Tuesday the bill “confirming respect for the principles of the Republic”, which should strengthen the legal arsenal against radical Islamism. The text, which has not been without criticism, will go up to debate in the Senate as of March 30.
The text, which required two weeks of debate, was widely approved on February 16 with 347 votes in favor, 151 votes against and 65 abstentions. Now it will continue its course to the Senate, where it expects to be debated on March 30.
The bill has about 70 articles and after about 80 hours of debate, it received around 144 amendments.
The legislation, which does not focus on any particular religion, was presented to the Council of Ministers on the day of the 115th anniversary of the 1905 law, which consolidated the nation’s freedom of worship and the separation of church and state. According to the Government, it has the objective of resuming “respect for the values of the Republic”.
Previously, the initiative was presented by President Emmanuel Macron under the argument that the text “confirms respect for the principles of the Republic” and strengthens the legal arsenal against radical Islamism.
The law, among other things, advocates the criminalization of the issuance of virginity certificates and represses the practices of forced marriages which, although prohibited, affect some 200,000 women.
Additionally, it imposes religious neutrality on public service workers and protects officials from radical pressures. It also seeks that the associations that demand public subsidies respect republican values such as secularism or gender equality.
Republicans, Republicans? Really ?
They vote against a law which amplifies the fight against radical Islamism. Against the end of virginity certificates, the strengthening of the fight against forced marriage and polygamy.
And sink into their own caricature. https://t.co/vZrIlQfBWj
– In Marche (@enmarchefr) February 16, 2021
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When he presented the project, Macron indicated that the objective of the law is “to reinforce secularism and respect for republican principles.”
Meanwhile, Gerald Darmanin, French Interior Minister, stressed that the legislation is a “powerful offensive on the part of the secular State (…) It is a harsh text, but necessary for the Republic.”
Opponents criticize an electoral maneuver
For opponents, Macron is trying to strengthen his security record ahead of next year’s election. Additionally, some left-wing political parties point out that the law seeks to exaggerate the threat and to be directed at foreign communities that frequently live in the suburbs of large cities.
On the other hand, they accuse him of doing little to counter discrimination and racism, although the head of state has committed to a new law and funds to help marginalized communities.
On Sunday February 14, two days before the vote, about 200 people demonstrated in Paris against the law, arguing that it stigmatizes Muslims.
For her part, the leader of the extreme right, Marine Le Pen, described the initiative as insufficient and as not addressing the issue of radicalization head-on. “It is restricting everyone’s freedom to try to modify the freedoms of some Islamists,” Le Pen said during a previous debate.
Sébastien Chenu, a deputy from the National Group party, the same as Le Pen, justified his vote. “We will abstain in the government text because we consider it clearly insufficient to combat Islamism, which is not even directly named”
The @RNational_off will abstain on the government’s text because we consider it clearly insufficient to fight Islamism, which is not even named directly. With Marine, we want to ban and eradicate Islamism from our country! #separatism pic.twitter.com/oj4XDH8tHb
– Sébastien Chenu (@sebchenu) February 16, 2021
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The bill comes amid the commotion caused in France after a series of attacks related to religious extremism, the latest of which was the beheading of Professor Samuel Paty on October 16, 2020, killed after displaying cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad in a class on freedom of expression.
With EFE, Reuters and AFP
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