After the debate on laïcité ...

La Croix has reported a meeting between the representatives of the main religions in France and the Minister of the Interior, following the governing party's debate and proposals on the question of religion/state relations in France - the question of what in continental Europe is referred to as laïcité but we might term secularity of the state.

Le ministre de l'intérieur Claude Guéant a privilégié vendredi 15 avril l'apaisement et la concertation en recevant les responsables des cultes en France, après le débat polémique de l'UMP sur l'islam et la laïcité et une série de déclarations controversées

The minister of the interior Claude Guéant moved on Friday 15th April towards appeasement and consultation by receiving the leaders of religions in France, after the polemical debate of the UMP on Islam and laïcité and a series of controversial statements.

La Croix's report suggests that the meeting took place in a helpful manner, and addressed some of the practical issues that occur in the debate. One participant observed that, while there was considerable acceptance of the general principles proposed by the public authorities, problems arose when the principles were put into practical application. Some practical initiatives have been put in place to manage particular instances of difficulties that arise in France.

Enfin, le rabbin Lewin a estimé que la réunion avec Claude Guéant était "le début d'un travail qui aboutira à ce que doit être la laïcité, c'est à dire non pas la négation des religions, mais l'application de règles identiques avec, également, la possibilité pour chacune des religions d'être ce qu'elle est".

Finally, Rabbi Lewin judged that the meeting with Claude Guéant was "the beginning of a work which will arrive at what must be laïcité, that is to say, not the negation of the religions, but the application of identical laws with, equally, the possibility for each of the religions to be what they are".

[I have yet to examine more closely the propositions prepared by the UMP as a result of their debate, on which I posted earlier (here and here). The meeting between religious leaders and the minister of the interior reported here is a follow up to that debate.]