Friends, Citizens, Comrades,
I bring you fraternal greetings from the International Association of Free Thought, reconstituted in Oslo in 2011. This International Free Thought Association has a presence on every continent and is permanently represented at the United Nations International Commission on Human Rights and the International Labour Organisation (ILO). Steps are currently being taken to ensure that it is also represented at the Council of Europe.
It has just held its 9th World Congress to reinforce the three pillars of its ongoing campaigns around the world:
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Work to defend the separation of churches and religions from the state where it exists, and to achieve it where it has not yet been implemented.
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Take action against public funding of religions and cults
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Stand alongside the victims of all clergy and religions to obtain justice and reparation for them.
Our International recently intervened at the UN to demand that the French government finally take action to end the barbarity of sexual crimes committed by the Catholic Church, which it did. In France alone, the Commission of the Conference of Bishops of France has estimated the number of victims at 330,000. We are working internationally with victims’ associations, which are increasingly joining forces with Libre Pensée to obtain justice and reparation.
We are also internationalist pacifists opposed to all wars, particularly the genocidal war currently being waged by Israeli fascist-Zionists in Gaza. Our international association intervened at the 113th session of the ILO to denounce this and demand that this barbarity finally come to an end.
Because we are against war, we are also against the militarisation of societies. I don’t think anyone here has Emmanuel Macron’s ear, but if someone could tell him that playing with toy soldiers when you’re a child is fine, but there comes a time when you have to grow up. Khaki seems to be the only colour he knows, and from the SNU to military service, marching young people in step seems to be his only real concern.
How can we fail to see that all over the world, and also in our country, a clash is brewing between the Janissaries of Totalitarianism and War and the Partisans of Freedom, Justice, Emancipation, Mutual Tolerance and Secularism, which can only be guaranteed by the separation of Church and State.
Peace or war, freedom or totalitarianism, progress or reaction: these are the choices that thinking humanity always faces. And everyone must choose their side. That is why, in our country, Free Thought, together with all of you here today on this Day of Secular Mobilisation, has chosen the 1905 law on the separation of church and state, which is a law of freedom, against the so-called “Separatism” law of 24 August 2021, which is nothing more than a law of oppression of conscience, of ever-increasing prohibitions and growing repression of opinions, “including religious ones“, to use the expression contained in Article 10 of the 1789 Declaration of Human Rights.
As Hannah Arendt said, there is really only one true human right: the “right to have rights“. This is claimed all over the world, which is why the concepts of freedom of conscience, secularism and the separation of religion and the state are present in many constitutions around the world, far more than is generally thought, because freedom is a universal aspiration.
But everywhere in the world, there are also totalitarians who deny this to humanity and want to turn the wheel of history backwards. But this will be impossible, because humanity would then no longer have any meaning and would deny itself.
La Libre Pensée, La Vigie de la Laïcité, La Ligue de l’Enseignement, L’Union rationaliste, La Ligue des Droits de l’Homme, Solidarité laïque – the Associations organised this Day of Secular Mobilisation, which took place in two stages, with reflection in the morning and action in the afternoon, thus unifying Spirit and Matter – would like to warmly and fraternally thank all the Associations, trade unions and Masonic orders that were present and worked alongside us to make this event a success.
As you can imagine, a day like this costs a few pennies to organise. That is why we are going to ask for your generosity at the end, so that you can show your active solidarity by donating to the collection boxes that will be at the exit.
Thank you all, thank you all for being here today. And as we used to say when the people rose up to defend their rights: This is only the beginning, the fight continues. And it will continue, because nothing can stop the march of progress and freedom.
And we have not finished hearing in the cities and the countryside, in businesses and on construction sites, in schools and universities, the slogan of the fighters for human freedom:
No god, no master!
Down with the Calotte!
Long live socialism!
Thank you.
