Preet Mohan Singh Ahluwalia

Old Songs In A New Café is a collection of selected essays by Robert James Waller, the celebrated author of The Bridges of Madison County. I found this title relevant to the present discussion on religion and secularism that has ensued with the proposed ban on religious symbols by the French government in public institutions. By accusing religion for being intolerant, secularism gained popularity as an opposing ideology.

The conflict between secularism and religion is not new. Most western nations have chosen separation of State and Religion as a model for governance. Generally speaking, it promotes the freedom of an individual to practice his or her religion while preventing the need for a State sponsored religion. While we may be tempted to criticize the French for proposing such a ban, let us not forget that many institutions that are religiously oriented also practice intolerance.

In 1999, a Christian school in Walnut Valley, California asked a young Sikh boy to compromise his faith or else leave the school. Despite protests by his parents he was forced to drop out. It was believed that Sikh appearance in a Christian school would undermine values that the school was striving hard to promote. Recently, the International Association for the Advancement of Dalits issued a public statement condemning segregation practiced in some Indian schools against dalit students, by teachers who practice the religiously sanctioned Hindu caste system.

In their zeal to proselytize the uninitiated, religions have, over the centuries, used every trick at their disposal, through overt or covert means, to forcibly convert the non-believer. Some promote a view that secularists are atheists and not worthy of respect and admiration.

A historical perspective

After the death of Francis I at Fontainebleau in 1547, Henry II came to power. Together with his mistress Diane de Poitiers they set on crushing all French apostates; some of the measures included punishment for possession of Protestant literature, death penalty for advocating heretical ideas, and monetary rewards for informers. Those arrested were put on trial in courts called le chamber ardente (the burning room). Many Frenchmen were condemned to the stake. Compounding the problem was an increasingly discontent bourgeoisie protesting the mismanagement of the country by the nobility, which led to a disastrous financial crisis during the reign of Louis XVI.

Military schools and universities were for a select few, particularly the royalists. While reading the biography about the brilliant mathematician and physicist Joseph Baptiste Fourier, I was surprised to know that on completing his studies at École Militaire, Fourier was refused entry into the artillery as he was not of noble birth and could not enter “even if he were a second Newton.”

The storming of Bastille in 1789 marked the start of the French Revolution, which was to introduce in Europe the ideas of Equality, Liberty, and Fraternity. Soon afterward the National Assembly was abolished and the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen published. By 1790 church lands were confiscated, and with the passing of Constitution Civile du Clerge the Roman Catholic Church came under the control of the Government.

With the French Revolution dawned the Age of Enlightment. As a student of enginnering, I am awed and inspired by the French contribution towards the advancement of science. Some of the most outstanding contibutors to human knowledge were French -- Laplace, Poisson, Pascal, Fermat, Ampère, Fourier, Monge, Cauchy, Delambre, d’Alembert, Legendre, Lebesgue, Lambert, Viete, and the famous woman mathematician Marie-Sophie Germain.

The 1905 law that separates Religion and State, by prohibiting the State from legitimizing any faith, affirms total freedom of religion: “the State neither recognizes nor subsidizes any religion.” Religious instructions are not permitted in any state-run school. Following the mass suicides by members of the Order of the Solar Temple in 1994, the About-Picard Law was passed in 2001 giving the State the right to dissolve a religious group under certain conditions.

In 1989 Conseil d'Etat (Council of State), the highest administrative court in France, ruled that religious symbols could be worn in public schools if it did not constitute proselytizing, intimidation, coercion or propaganda aimed at violating the freedom of conscience of a French citizen. The Ministry of Education issued a directive in 1994, prohibiting the wearing of ostentatious political and religious symbols in schools. The ruling was not specific, and it provided school authorities power to enforce the ban if they so desired. This resulted in the expulsion of some girls from school for wearing headscarves. The following year Conseil d'Etat clarified that expulsion for wearing a headscarf to school was not required.

Sikh concern

Sikhs protesting in Paris (January 31, 2004) Reuters

Last December when Stasi Commission recommended to Hon. President Chirac the need to pass a law prohibiting “religious symbols” from public schools, the French Sikh community, a mere few thousand, realized it could effectively prevent them from freely practicing the Sikh faith. There are some external articles of faith that every Sikh is required to wear; the Stasi Report would place a ban on it.

A New York Times report of January 18, 2004 states that a senior official of the Ministry of Interior when asked about the affect of the proposed ban on the Sikh population in France commented, “I know nothing about the Sikh problem. Are there many Sikhs in France.” Earlier, a spokesperson of the Ministry of Education, which is responsible for introducing the Bill in Parliament, declined to comment and appeared surprised, “What? There are Sikhs in France?”

What Sikhs find hardest to comprehend is the failure of French authorities to discuss this issue with the community. If the motivation behind this policy is to prevent proselytizing, provocation and intimidation, per the 1989 ruling, the concerned authorities failed to realize that Sikh faith categorically rejects the idea of forced conversions and the need for active proselytizing. Since its inception over five centuries ago, Sikhism has promoted the right of every person to freely seek and follow a path of choice, whatever it might be. There is no divine retribution for those who refuse to acknowledge a higher Reality.

Sikhism advanced the idea of fraternity among people as far back as the 15^th century at a time when religious conflict among two major religions in the Indian sub-continent was on the increase. In the spirit of acceptance the ten Sikh Gurus (prophet-teachers) included in the Sikh Scripture verses from non-Sikh saints, some of whom were discriminated against by their own people for belonging to the lower castes. A Muslim Sufi saint Mian Mir was invited to lay the foundation stone of Harmandir Sahib, which is a prominent Sikh gurdwara. A mosque built by the sixth Guru was recently renovated and handed to the Muslim community by the Sikhs of Punjab. Although Sikhism disagrees with Hindu philosophy, the ninth Guru gave his life to protect religious freedom of Hindu Brahmins who were being persecuted for their faith.

We reject the need for a priestly class that acts as an intermediary between humans and the Divine. There are no holy days, numbers and rituals that guarantee salvation. At the core, Sikhism is a philosophy that promotes uplifting the human spirit and serving mankind irrespective of differences. These egalitarian values are in consonance with the idea of equality, liberty, and fraternity that the French proudly promote.

Article 4 of the 1789 Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen states:

Freedom consists in being able to do all that does not harm others. Thus, the exercise of the natural rights of each man has limits only to the extent of those which ensure that the other members of society obtain the pleasure of these same rights. These limits can be determined only by the law.

Sikh values do not threaten non-Sikhs. We accept the fundamental right of every individual to seek his or her own path without any fear. Why must we be victimized?

The French have a great history of secularism and protection of individual rights. It is my hope that Hon. President Chirac would ensure that the right of all French citizens to freely exercise their faith is protected. The progressive people of France must also further the cause of secularism by accepting everyone who holds a different belief.

Welcoming year 2004

Ruhani Kaur Ahluwalia

Last month, Sikh Research Institute of San Antonio (Texas), organized a two-day seminar where issues relevant to the global Sikh community were discussed. I feel privileged to have attended it. SRI was founded about one year ago and plans many programs for year 2004 and beyond.

SikhSpectrum.com wishes all its readers a happy 2004. With the birth of my daughter Ruhani, I look forward to a joyous year making great memories. My wife and I are delighted to have her in our life.

Copyright ©2002 Preet Mohan Singh Ahluwalia.   About The Author