The New Anti-Sect Law in France: A Return to the Past?

On April 9, 2024, after months of heated debate, France passed a controversial amended law against sects, despite opposition from the Senate and a clear rejection of the text just a week earlier. This episode raises concerns about a possible return to repressive and discriminatory policies reminiscent of dark periods in European history.


A Contested Legislative Process

The French legislative system stipulates that in case of disagreement between the Senate and the National Assembly, the latter's decision prevails. Despite strong government pressure, opposition to the law was significant even in the National Assembly, with 146 votes in favor and 104 against.


The law, titled "strengthening the fight against sectarian deviations," introduces a new offense: "incitement to refuse necessary medical or preventive care," punishable by up to one year in prison and a fine. During the COVID-19 pandemic, sects were accused of spreading anti-vaccination ideas, partly justifying this measure. However, the law's implications go far beyond pandemic management.


The Council of State expressed strong reservations about this provision, calling it a threat to freedom of speech and scientific debate. Nonetheless, the government ignored these recommendations and proceeded with approval.


The Experts' Voice

In November 2023, Dr. Raffaella Di Marzio, an expert in the psychology of religion and director of the Center for Studies on Freedom of Religion, Belief, and Conscience (LIREC), contacted the French Senate to express her concerns. In her letter, Di Marzio highlighted that the law poses a real threat to the fundamental rights of individuals belonging to religious minorities, criticizing the concept of "mind manipulation" or "psychological submission" as unsupported by scientific evidence.


Di Marzio also drew attention to the danger of repeating historical mistakes, citing Mussolini's fascist regime's "plagiarism" law, which criminalized mental manipulation to suppress political opposition. Abrogated in 1981, that law had been criticized for its vagueness and ideological discrimination it allowed.


A Worrying Comparison with the Past

The approval of this law in France brings to mind the discriminatory policies of Nazi Germany, where laws like the Nuremberg Laws of 1935 limited Jewish rights, barring them from government and other public institutions. The parallel with the current practice of "sectarian filters" in Germany, denounced by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, is alarming.

In Germany, those seeking employment or contracts with government entities must declare they are not affiliated with Scientology, under penalty of exclusion. This religious discrimination clearly violates European directives on equal treatment and the European Convention on Human Rights. Despite numerous judicial rulings against it, the practice continues, raising serious concerns about religious freedom.


Conclusions

The approval of the French law and the persistence of discriminatory practices in Germany indicate a dangerous trend towards the repression of religious minorities in Europe. The dehumanization of specific groups, justified by repressive laws, can pave the way for future large-scale human rights violations.

It is essential for the European Union to intervene decisively to stop these trends. Inaction risks undermining the credibility of European institutions and the fundamental principles on which democracy is based.

For more details, please visit the official site here


#France #AntiSectLaw #NationalAssembly #COVID19 #FreedomOfSpeech #HumanRights

#PsychologyOfReligion #MindManipulation #EuropeanHistory #Mussolini #Plagiarism

#ReligiousDiscrimination #Germany #Scientology #EuropeanUnion #ReligiousFreedom

#FundamentalRights #Democracy #Europe


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