No: 230, 4 October 2020, Press Release Regarding France’s Draft Bill on the “Fight Against Separatism”

Republic Of Türkiye Ministry Of Foreign Affairs 05.10.2020

French President Macron has announced that an “Islam of the Enlightenment will be created" in France with the draft bill on the "fight against separatism" to be submitted to the Council of Ministers on 9 December 2020.

Nobody should try to subject our sacred religion, which means "peace", to wrong and distorted approaches under the pretext of "enlightenment".

We think that the mentality that forms the basis of this bill will lead to dire consequences rather than bringing solutions to France's problems.

To think that they can discipline immigrant societies by introducing concepts such as "European Islam" and "French Islam" under the pretext of "enlightening" the religion of Islam means acting in the opposite direction of humanitarian and legal considerations.

States do not have the right to determine by law the religious service that each person will receive while practicing their faith and the religious understanding they adopt.

The fact that this mentality, which is caused by a misreading of sociological and historical facts, attempts to further fuel the growing xenophobia, racism, discrimination and Islamophobia, that are major problems in Europe and in France, is a source of common concern not only for their own societies, but also for all humanity.

Instead of looking at people and religious issues solely from a security perspective, we think it would be more correct and beneficial to adopt constructive discourses that encourage the dignity of social needs related to religious and moral values.

As we closely monitor the process related to this draft bill, we will continue to raise with France its drawbacks on bilateral and multilateral platforms.

Atatürk

Melih Bora Kerimoğlu Consul General
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