THE FRENCH SENATE VOTE 163 TO 114 TO BAN RELIGIOUS SIGNS INCLUDING THE VEIL

USPA NEWS - The French Senate votes to ban religious signs, including the veil, to parents accompanying school trips. This measure will come into force only if the National Assembly also votes the bill, which seems unlikely. The Minister of Education Jean-Michel Blanquer has already stated that he opposed. On Tuesday, 29 October, senators adopted a bill banning the wearing of religious symbols, including the veil, for parents accompanying school trips. It had been tabled by the group The Republicans, majority in the Senate. However, for this prohibition to enter into law, it must also be voted, in the same terms, by the National Assembly.

This measure will come into force only if the National Assembly also votes the bill, which seems unlikely. The Minister of Education Jean-Michel Blanquer has already stated that he opposed. On Tuesday, 29 October, senators adopted a bill banning the wearing of religious symbols, including the veil, for parents accompanying school trips. It had been tabled by the group The Republicans, majority in the Senate. However for this prohibition to enter into law, it must also be voted, in the same terms, by the National Assembly. What seems unlikely, the latter being dominated by the Republic on the move, and the Minister of Education Jean-Michel Blanquer, in particular, having expressed his opposition to a text he considers "counterproductive". The 23 senators of the LREM group all voted against. On Tuesday, the text was adopted at first reading by 163 votes to 114. It aims to modify the Education Code to extend "to those who participate, including during field trips, to activities related to teaching in or outside the institutions "the prohibition of ostensible religious signs laid down by the law of 2004. A TOUCHY DEBATE INITIATED SINCE WEEKS BY THE EDUCATION MINISTER JEAN MICHEL BLANQUER After weeks of debates on the veil, the Senate voted on Tuesday, October 29, at first reading by 163 votes to 114, the prohibition of religious symbols for accompanying parents. It was a proposal of law of the Republicans and carried by Senator Bruno Retailleau. The examination of this controversial text was maintained despite the calls to the left and the majority to give up, in a tense atmosphere in the aftermath of the attack on a mosque in Bayonne, which caused two serious injuries. Bruno Retailleau had refused to postpone or to cancel the debate, judging that this one "can and must happen without any peace in the Parliament otherwise it will take place in the street with the risk of violence that entails".----------------------- The senator (ex-PS) of Bouches-du-Rhone Samia Ghali denounced a text that "stigmatizes". She welcomed the same day in the Senate about thirty women and children from Marseille's working-class neighborhoods, including some veiled mothers. The subject was relaunched by a member of the RN taking part of a veiled woman during a public meeting. The right continues to press Emmanuel Macron to speak about secularism.

THE MINISTER BLANQUER WISHES « THE MOMS NOT TO WEAR THE VEIL » AS THEY ESCORT THEIR KIDS DURING SCHOOL TRIPS--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Before the Senate, the Minister of Education Jean-Michel Blanquer immediately reaffirmed his opposition to the proposed law, but pledged to be "in support of the directors of institutions in the measures they wish to take to fight against proselytism ". "Going beyond the necessary, a law would be counterproductive because it would send a scrambled message to the families that need to be brought closer to school. The minister also defended his fight for secularism, but also against communitarianism and against radicalization. The French President Macron explained that "The wearing of the Veil is not my business" and on the other hand, asks the representatives of the Center of the French Muslim Worship to "fight against communitarianism". A petition is circulating, already signed by more than 200 000 to say stop to Islamophobia. "Hate is still there Yesterday, an armed man attacked the Bayonne mosque seriously wounding 2 people, and you can join the movement to ask the President and the Government to speak out publicly against this hatred." explains the petition. PRESIDENT MACRON SEPAKS ABOUT RACISM AND COMMUNITARIANISM AT VALEUR ACTUELLES------------ The President of the Republic of Macron, reaffirms fighting "with all his might against communitarianism" and said he does not want to "fall into the trap" of the amalgam between communitarianism and Islam. The head of state claims not to want to talk about "anti-white racism", a "dialectic" that he considers "deadly". Source Valeurs Actuelles The text aims to modify the code of education to extend "to persons who participate, including during field trips, to activities related to teaching in or outside institutions" the prohibition of conspicuous religious symbols posed by the 2004 law. The Head of State, however, says he wants to "settle quickly" the question "people who come with a tourist visa, who stay three months and then go to the AME", defending "to have the speech of the National Gathering [far right, RN] " Source : Senate, Valeurs Actuelles