Secularism at the heart of public debate. While Marlène Schiappa, Minister in charge of Citizenship, gives this Tuesday, April 20 the kickoff of her "
States General of secularism
", which will give rise in particular to a "
great consultation
" with young people, the former Minister of National Education, Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, answers him. Asked about the subject on France Inter, the socialist candidate for regional in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, considered that secularism was "
misled by permanent instrumentalisation
". It is for this reason, according to her, that "
many young people
" end up "
considering her as an enemy
" of who they are.
To read also: Marlène Schiappa announces "States general of secularism"
For Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, the notion of secularism is "
instrumentalised by the extreme right, by the right, then today, by this government
".
According to her, the “
political forces
” which are instrumentalizing it are more and more numerous and give the impression that it is “
convened regularly only to exclude a religion, and in this case, Islam
”.
"I have a lot of questions"
According to her, this debate on secularism was not urgent for the country at present.
"
I have a lot of questions about this process,
" said the former minister, who had worked on the subject when she belonged to the government.
"
Secularism is a pillar of our Republic, the cement of our harmony, of our civil peace and I think that we must avoid making it a battlefield
", explained the socialist.
To read also: Estates General of secularism: Jadot accuses Schiappa of being "in the register of insult" against environmentalists
Najat Vallaud-Belkacem accuses the government of having “
permanent inclinations to turn them into battlefields
” and considers that it would rather be necessary to “
educate
” about what secularism “
among the youngest”.
". To illustrate her point, the former minister recounts how, at one period in her life, she explained secularism to young people: "
Equal respect for individuals regardless of their religious convictions or their absence of religious conviction and the fact that public services must treat these individuals in the same way without discrimination
”.
And to conclude: “
When I explained this to young people, their outlook on secularism changed, they realized that it is a value, that it is precious and that it deserves to be respected, loved and cherished
”.
