Press Release

AHA Breaks with other Humanists over French Headscarf Ban

(Washington, D.C., August 31, 2004) On Wednesday, the controversial ban on "conspicuous" religious apparel will go into effect in France's public schools, disallowing Muslim headscarves and Jewish yarmulkes. "This ban violates the principle of religious freedom, denying children the identity of their faith," stated Tony Hileman, executive director of the American Humanist Association.

Other groups, some even within the community of reason, have published statements defending France's radical step, prompting Hileman to explain the AHA's difference of opinion: "We feel government should not interfere with religious liberty and private family decisions without a legitimate state interest. While government should be neutral toward religion and schools kept free from proselytization, we see no compelling interest in banning clothing that is not disruptive and does not create a threat to safety."

"Faced with religious conflict, the French government has an interest in supporting educational programs that focus on gender equality and religious tolerance, rather than trying to suppress individual religious expression," added AHA president Mel Lipman.

"France has an honorable history of appropriately separating religion from government, but in this case shows an unnecessary favoritism to religious people whose faith does not mandate the wearing of specific apparel, and discriminates against religious minorities. Children should not be used as political weapons and should not be forced to the front lines of France's cultural and religious differences," continues Lipman.

Since democracy should never yield to the demands of terrorism, the taking hostage of French journalists in Iraq should not figure into the French government's policy decision. "This is clearly a time for reasonable accommodation--favoritism and proselytizing, no. Religious identification, yes," concludes Hileman.

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