La loi de la laicite du 2004 en france : un mecanisme de discrimination utilisee avec la couverture de I' assimilation

Abstract

This paper focuses on the 2004 laws of secularism in France and the ways it has been used to discriminate against Muslims despite the fact that it must be a law universally applicable to all religions. This paper also tries to address the problem with the imposition of the majority of such laws by local communities and how laws have been used to discriminate against or exclude Muslims from society. In an effort to establish a sense of religious neutrality in the French state, it seems that the result of the imposition of secular laws has been to create an atmosphere of religious intolerance. This contradicts the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen which guarantees the freedom to practice any religion and freedom of conscience for all French people. The 2004 secularism law has been used to target young girls who wear the headscarf in classrooms using the reason that such a prohibition helps 'downtrodden' girls and makes it easier for them to associate with other students.