France defends lay policies after US criticism of religious freedom

France vigorously defended its position on non-sectarian and lay government policies Tuesday after the publication of a US State Department report that was critical of restrictions here on wearing of the hijab, the burqa and the niqab. The annual report on freedom of religious expression by the US government was critical of several countries around the world, including France and Belgium in Europe, where wearing of Islamic headdress has been banned in schools and where bans have been imposed on the burqa and niqab in public places. "We have learned of the American State Department report on religious freedom in the world in 2011. We do not have to comment the terms of this report, which each year gives the point of view of the United States on respect for freedom of religion at international level," Foreign Ministry deputy spokesman Vincent Floreani said in response to KUNA questions. "France is a democracy which guarantees fundamental public freedoms, including freedom of conscience, religion and belief," the official added. He said that the French conception of a lay system is a common heritage for all French and "involves rules that favour living together in the public and public school areas." The US report criticised France for banning Islamic scarves, or hijab, in schools here and said Islamic dress should be a "personal choice." Floreani also remarked that France was working with its European partners to define a "more structured European Union policy to defend freedom of religion and beliefs in the world." The lay system in this country is enshrined in the Constitution, he added, "and it aims to guarantee freedom for all religions and a form of neutrality." Floreani explained that the ban on the burqa and niqab and the covering of faces in public was both a law that respected religious rights and the lay society and it was not an attack on any particular religion. The official recalled a recent speech of Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, when he told an Iftar gathering of Muslim figures here that while France is a lay country, it is "not hostile to religion" but provides "a shared framework for the co-existence of different religious expressions or their absence and is for the free exercise of rites." Fabius further stated that the government would "apply the letter of lay (policies) and will condemn any negative misuse of these." The Foreign Minister also told Muslim leaders and ambassadors that he would combat the use of any "pseudo-justification to reject Islam" by using pretexts from the lay policies. "We are watching and will watch out that Muslims in France are not stigmatised, but on the contrary we will show them the respect they are due," Fabius said.