SOLEMN DECLARATION OF THE REGIONS OF FRANCE

USPA NEWS - During the 16th Congress of Regions this afternoon in Saint-Ouen, Renaud Muselier read a solemn declaration by the presidents of the Regions of France following the assassination of Samuel Paty at the end of his college, last Friday in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine. The President of Regions of France read this declaration in the presence of Gerard Larcher, President of the Senate, François Baroin, President of the AMF and Dominique Bussereau, President of the ADF, and of the Presidents of the Regions. All then observed a minute of silence in memory of Samuel Paty. The text of the declaration: "The despicable and cowardly assassination of Samuel Paty, a teacher in a college in Yvelines, on Friday, October 16, aroused immense emotion in our country. This emotion is at the height of the symbols of the Republic which were achieved. "Because what was aimed at is a double symbol: freedom of expression on the one hand and the school of the Republic on the other. "However, the republican school has the fundamental role of bringing our children to be free citizens. Freedom is a right, but the school teaches them that it is also a duty. T

« THE REPUBLICAN SCHOOL ALSO TEACHES OUR CHILDREN THAT THE REPUBLIC IS SECULAR »“¨ “¨"The republican school also teaches our children that the Republic is secular. The State does not exercise any religious power and the churches do not exercise any political power. The school of the Republic thus fights fanaticism, it fights against the obscurantism, it fights against the corruption of all forms of religion. It builds emancipated citizens who must be able to judge everything in free conscience. "The school of the Republic, finally, teaches our children that the rule of law guarantees the balance between individuals living in society and ensures civil peace. "Every day, tirelessly, the school of the Republic thus inculcates in our children the base of our republican ideal." But five years after the Charlie Hebdo attacks, the fact that the author of such a cowardly and barbaric act being only 18 says a lot about the road ahead. It shows how the fundamental mission of the school of the Republic becomes more difficult every day in a world whose convulsions are blurring the democratic foundations. "Law, justice and order are more than ever essential to relentlessly combat these intolerable abuses. But above all, it is to the conscience that we must address so that obscurantist delusions no longer find any outlet. This is the role that the nation has entrusted to the teachers who keep the school of the Republic alive. ----------------------------------------- "We, presidents of the Regions of France, solemnly give our full support to those who practice daily and with passion the difficult job of supporting our children towards adulthood in the values “‹“‹of the Republic. We tell them that we will never let anyone intimidate them in this fundamental task. We say our immense respect to them. We tell them our pride for the role they play in the cohesion of our nation. "We, presidents of the Regions of France, in charge of high schools, want to contribute to the affirmation of the founding role of the school as the cement of the Republic." We, presidents and presidents of the Regions of France, political leaders, affirm that caricature is a fundamental component of freedom of expression. The offense of blasphemy does not exist, and when it comes to humor, our law protects excess and parody. "This is why we, presidents of the Regions of France, are taking the initiative today to prepare the publication of a book bringing together the most outstanding religious and political cartoons published in the dailies of the regional press, alongside those that appeared in the national press.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "We are going to ask a college of historians to put into perspective the right to caricature in the political history of our country. The fact that caricatures concerning all religions and political caricatures have coexisted there for a long time is the the most living proof of the secularism of our Republic. We will associate the Ministry of National Education with this initiative so that this book can be made available to all high school students in France. "By this gesture, with respect of our skills, we want to bear witness to our commitment to defend the values “‹“‹of the Republic and the fundamental right of each and every one of our fellow citizens to live in peace and freedom. "