LETTERS OF PROTEST

En Français

May 16, 2001

Monsieur le Prsident de la Rpublique
Palais de l’Elyse
55, rue du faubourg Saint-Honor
75008 Paris

Dear M. President,

A bill titled the “About-Picard” legislation may shortly come to you for signature. It has already passed the Senate and is heading for its second round at the National Assembly. I am writing to alert you that this bill violates both the French Constitution and international human rights treaties signed and ratified by France.

You will hear much propaganda about how the bill is “needed”. The truth is, however, that it is needed as much as the Revocation Edict of 1685 was “needed.” That law punished “heretics” for believing differently and led to massive and bloody persecution of Protestants. The About-Picard bill too would give the government the power to punish people for thinking differently. Not only I say this. “Aid to the Church in Need”, the international Catholic charity, has accused the government of punishing ideas with this bill, and of introducing a “secular humanist Inquisition.”

This witchhunters’s charter has been condemned by religious leaders and human rights organizations all over the world. And France’s international reputation as a democracy is at stake because of it. Even the Council of Europe has appointed a Rapporteur to investigate the bill and cases of religious discrimination in France.

I am writing to ask you to use your presidential prerogative to delay the bill until cooler heads can prevail. If you need further information, including expert legal analysis of how the bill violates international human rights instruments, I will be pleased to supply this material to you.

Sincerely,

Leisa Goodman
Human Rights Director