Secularism Agency Will Defend France from 'Religious Extremists'

[سيف الله]

Salaam

This article in my view demonstrates the dangers of secularism rather nicely, what do you think?

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France will deport foreign-born imams and disband radical faith-based groups, including hardline traditionalist Catholics, if a new surveillance policy signals they suffer a “religious pathology” and could become violent. A French Islamist shooting spree last March that killed three soldiers and four Jews showed how quickly religiously radicalised people could turn to force, Interior Minister Manuel Valls told a conference on the official policy of secularism.

His warning came two days after President Francois Hollande announced the creation of an agency to track how the separation of church and state is upheld in this traditionally Catholic country with Europe’s largest Muslim and Jewish minorities. Valls and two other cabinet ministers told the conference on Tuesday evening the Socialist-led government would stress the secularist policy called “laicite” that they said was weakened under the previous conservative President Nicolas Sarkozy.

“The aim is not to combat opinions by force, but to detect and understand when an opinion turns into a potentially violent and criminal excess,” he said.

“The objective is to identify when it’s suitable to intervene to treat what has become a religious pathology,” said Valls, whose ministry oversees relations with religions. France’s official secularism sidelines faith in the public sphere, but a trend towards a more visible religious identity among some Muslims, Jews and Catholics has made defending it a cause for the traditionally secularist left-wing parties.

FOCUS ON ALL FAITHS

Valls stressed the focus would be not only on radical Salafi Muslims recruiting among disaffected youths, but also on groups such as Civitas, a far-right lay Catholic movement that protests aggressively against what it calls insults to Christianity. Police were already observing Civitas closely because its protest campaigns skirt “the limits of legality,” he said. “All excesses are being minutely registered in case we have to consider dissolving it and defending this before a judge.”

The French Catholic Church has kept its distance from Civitas, which is close to the far-right National Front and the rebel traditionalist Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX), and encouraged its members to join only Church-backed protests against the planned legalisation of same-sex marriage.

At a Civitas march against gay marriage in Paris last month, some demonstrators attacked a French feminist journalist and several Ukrainian feminists who came dressed as nuns or bared their breasts to mock the ultra-traditionalists.

Valls said the government had a duty to combat religious extremism because it was “an offence to the republic” based on a negation of reason that puts dogma ahead of the law.

Giving examples of religious extremists, he mentioned creationists in the United States and the Muslim world, radical Islamists, ultra-traditionalist Catholics and ultra-Orthodox Jews who want to live separately from the modern world.

SECTARIAN SALAFIS

Salafi Muslims, whose stern version of Islam also sets followers apart from Western society, sometimes act in a sectarian way to control youths seeking an identity, he said. France actively pursues and sometimes bans sects and cults considered a threat to public order but radical Islamist groups have mostly been treated as security problems. Classifying them as sectarian could lead to preemptive legal action against them.

Announcing his initiative on secularism on Sunday, Hollande said the new observatory - a public agency to monitor policy issues and propose solutions - would also study ways to introduce classes on secular morality in state schools. Education Minister Vincent Peillon told the conference the classes would stress the French values of equality and fraternity that teachers say pupils - especially in poorer areas with immigrant populations - increasingly do not respect.

“We have to teach this and it’s not being done,” he said. “If we don’t teach it, they won’t learn it.”

Valls urged the more militant secularists at the conference not to see religions as sects to be opposed and to understand that established religions could help fight against extremists.

“We have to say that religions are not sects, otherwise sects are religions,” he said.

Read more: http://forward.com/

[جوري]

I thought the cartoon the 'Hunch back of notre dame' did an excellent job painting the battle between the church and secularism... they start early indoctrinating use visual imagery and the right words to steer into the path of the devil the masses and from a very young age!

[~Zaria~]

Assalamu-alaikum,

Thanks for sharing the article.


In my opinion, there are 2 sides to every coin:

On the one hand, it is our duty as muslims to hold fast to Quraan and Sunnah - and in this way, all the secularism in the world would not be able to weaken our resolve.

If we hold the mindset that, let the kuffar continue with their plots and schemes, but WE will not forsake the commands of Allah (subhanawataála), then most of the battle is already won.

While there is undoubtedly an intentional stripping of religious beliefs in todays society - what is OUR excuse for following the masses?

There is no state in the world that forces its people to listen to and watch the type of filth that we as MUSLIMS allow to enter into our homes.
And so the problem is actually perpetuated to a large degree by us.
Our imaans are so weak and our knowledge of our deen so poor, that we willingly accept so many secular ways of life - that are in complete contradiction to the commands of Allah.

How many muslims have resolved to live in COMPLETE SUBMISSION to the Will of Allah?
So, our first resolution should be to work from within ourselves - to strengthen OUR relationship with Allah.

Then, let see the plans of the kuffaar overtake this ummah!

On the other hand, we have to also consider that if we have chosen to live in a non-muslim country, then we need to abide by the laws of that land - so long as they are not imposing laws upon its citzens that are in conflict with the commands of Allah.

So, if France prohibits the hijab for women - then either we engage that state in civilised discussion, and if this is not possible, we make hijrah to a country that does allow for the free practise of all religions. Burning down embassies and senseless killings is not from Islam.

Allah subhanawataála says in the Quran:

"Indeed, those whom the angels take [in death] while wronging themselves - [the angels] will say, "In what [condition] were you?" They will say, "We were oppressed in the land." The angels will say, "Was not the earth of Allah spacious [enough] for you to emigrate therein?" For those, their refuge is Hell - and evil it is as a destination.
Except for the oppressed among men, women and children who cannot devise a plan nor are they directed to a way -
For those it is expected that Allah will pardon them, and Allah is ever Pardoning and Forgiving.

And whoever emigrates for the cause of Allah will find on the earth many [alternative] locations and abundance. And whoever leaves his home as an emigrant to Allah and His Messenger and then death overtakes him - his reward has already become incumbent upon Allah . And Allah is ever Forgiving and Merciful." Surat An Nisa 97-100

SECTARIAN SALAFIS

Salafi Muslims, whose stern version of Islam also sets followers apart from Western society, sometimes act in a sectarian way to control youths seeking an identity, he said.

I just wanted to mention that the so-called 'sectarian salafis' come in different forms today....

There are those as described above......and then, there are those who may be inclined towards a more 'liberal' understanding in matters of fiqh - chosing rulings between the madhabs, based on their own (possibly short-sighted) understanding of a particular matter. This type is possibly even more wide-spread than the group mentioned in the article.


Allahs knows best.

:wa:

[GuestFellow]

I don't think secularism is necessary dangerous. It depends on who's implementing the policies.

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[Pygoscelis]

“The aim is not to combat opinions by force, but to detect and understand when an opinion turns into a potentially violent and criminal excess,” he said.

Valls urged the more militant secularists at the conference not to see religions as sects to be opposed and to understand that established religions could help fight against extremists.

This should be doable with existing laws and without deporting anybody who can't be proved to fall under the above. And yes, religious people should be allies with non-religious people in combating the crazies who go extremist and violent. I don't even see why that would need saying.