French Unions Oppose ’Separatism’ Law, Citing Concerns Over Muslim Stigmatization

"We refuse a law of stigmatization, division and a new attack on the principles of secularism. (...) We will not allow the French society and more particularly the working classes to be divided, fractured by a new Islamophobic campaign of stigmatization of Muslim populations or perceived as such who are systematically targeted in the speeches of ministers and at the highest level of the State," the CGT, FSU, Solidaires, UNEF and UNL said in an inter-union statement.

These trade union organizations say they are convinced that it is their fellow citizens of the Muslim faith who are targeted by this draft law. For them, the draft law against separatism "aims to designate an ’internal enemy’". "Dupes of no reactionary offensive, our organizations reaffirm their attachment to secularism which allows the real exercise of freedom of opinion, expression and conscience. This requires massive investment in public services," the unions continue.

According to them, modifying the law of 1905, as the executive plans with its law on the alleged "separatism", risks destroying this balance and reinforcing the instrumentalization of secularism. They call on all French people "to refuse these divisions, to fight together against all racisms, to face together to demand and build responses to social emergencies".