Madam, - Ms Patricia McKenna, an MEP, who seems, to me at least, to detest everything European, has recently been protesting outside the French embassy about the controversy surrounding the wearing of headscarves by Muslim girls while attending public schools in France. Her lack of knowledge of French history is depressing, but not surprising.
After the Revolution of 1789 the principles of liberty, equality and fraternity were enshrined in the French Constitution. Liberty gave citizens the freedom to practise any religion or none and the duty not to infringe on the religious freedom of other citizens. Equality gave citizens equal rights under the law but also the duty to respect the rights of others. Fraternity implied that French people were members of a community and that no citizen was entitled to special or individual treatment.
When the free state schools were established for all children in 1882 (les écoles laïques), the founding law stated that teachers had a duty to educate children about matters which brought children together and not about dogmas which divided them.
In 1905, another law established the separation of the churches and the state and guaranteed liberty of conscience. Furthermore, it banned any religious sign or emblem on public monuments or buildings (for example, the mairie or town hall). There are no crosses on public monuments to those who died for the Republic in the two great wars of the 20th century. In 1937, yet another law concerning the free state schools stated that any sort of proselytism would not be permitted in these establishments. In 1989, the Council of State issued an advisory notice that pupils had the liberty and the right to manifest their religious beliefs while at schools but that they did not have permission, individually or collectively, to carry or display religious symbols which, by their nature, constituted an act of pressure, provocation, proselytism or propaganda.
It should be realised, of course, that French parents whatever their religion, have an absolute right to send their children to a school, fee-paying or otherwise, which is appropriate for their religious beliefs and where there are no prohibitions on dress, etc.,
I believe that the French are perfectly correct in opposing the Muslim pressure to allow the wearing of headscarves. The French have never been racist - witness their attitude to colour, for example. We in Ireland, and humankind in general, owe an enormous debt to the French Revolution and its three great principles. - Vive la France! - Yours, etc.,
NIALL O'DONOHOE, FTCD, Mount St Anne's, Milltown Road, Dublin 6.
Madam, - While France debates the new law which would ban, among other things, the Islamic headscarf, Sikh turban and any "religious" beard, the Belgians, Germans and others are thinking of following suit. Should not Bertie Ahern, as current president of Europe and prime minister of the country where the song The Wearing of the Green was written, have a quiet word with someone in these governments and point out that banning particular styles of clothing is not a good way of creating peace and harmony between people? - Yours, etc.,
HUGH SHEEHY, Barcelona, Spain.