Secularism is Ok

Credit Picture : Frédéric Béatse's blog

A tree symbol of secularism has been once again planted in Lorraine square by the Angers mayor Frédéric Béatse after a previous oak set up there for the same purpose had been cut a month ago. That event, simultneous to the racist insults shouted to the justice minister Christian Taubira during her visit to Angers, had been interpreted by local representatives, from both left and right, as a sign of intolerance that has to be tackled.

Because it was impossible to the mayor to warm the hearts of the people gathered in Lorraine square on December 7thbecause of low low temperatures taht morning, he invited them to the nearby town hall where he spoke no as a candidate but as a represen-tative of people not sharing the same religious opinions or even atheists. Having reminded that the city recorded in two weeks "two attacks against republican values [which are] a warning for the representatives", Mr. Béatse pointed out that "secularism allows people to leave peacefully in society, with [their] convictions, as long as they do not impige with the freedom of others" and solemnelly warned that racists and intolerants "were facing a united front".