The Honorable Ambassador Jean-David Levitte,
French Embassy to the United States
4101 Reservoir Road, NW
Washington, DC 20007

Dear Ambassador Jean-David Levitte:

As Members of the U.S. House of Representatives, we are writing to express our concern about legislation pending before the French Parliament that would ban religious dress and articles of faith in the country's schools. We respectfully ask that you convey our concerns to your government in advance of this momentous vote.

France has a proud modern tradition of isolating state institutions from religious influences in order to maintain a stable and secure government and to protect the rights of its people. However, the proposed law threatens the religious rights of French children by forcing them to choose between school and religious practices that are central to their core values.

We are particularly concerned that this legislation appears to represent a backlash against one French minority: Muslims. Despite claims to the contrary, this legislation would disproportionately affect Muslims, especially Muslim women who often wear headscarves, known in Arabic as hijabs. However, restricting religious garb would impact individuals of all faiths. Many Sikhs, for example, wear turbans as an expression of their faith and religious identity. Compelling them to remove their turbans in school is contrary to the dictates of their faith. In essence, this law would force Muslims, Sikhs, Jews, and members of other faiths to pursue alternative forms of education, slowing their integration into French society.

France has been commended for its willingness to sign international treaties that protect human rights and religious freedom. As the French Parliament debates this issue over the next week, we urge this legislative body to remain mindful of the spirit in which these treaties were written and agreed to.

In the event that this bill passes, we would respectfully urge your government to present this bill to the Constitutional Council for consideration. We understand that not all bills are subject to consideration by this council, but given the substance and magnitude of this legislation, we feel it is an appropriate and necessary step. We trust that the French government will do its best to protect the interests of its citizens and will provide the necessary tools to ensure that the religious norms each individual citizen wishes to exercise are honored.

Sincerely,

MICHAEL M. HONDA

VERNON EHLERS

Lee, Barbara, California, 9th
Woolsey, Lynn, California, 6th
Lewis, John, Georgia, 5th
Bishop, Timothy, New York, 1st
Case, Ed, Hawaii, 2nd
Scott, Robert C. "Bobby", Virginia, 3rd
Evans, Lane, Illinois, 17th
Marshall, Jim, Georgia, 3rd
Nadler, Jerrold, New York, 8th
Meeks, Gregory W., New York, 6th
Jackson Lee, Sheila, Texas, 18th
Abercrombie, Neil, Hawaii, 1st
Filner, Bob, California, 51st
Sherman, Brad, California, 27th
Udall, Tom, New Mexico, 3rd
Berkley, Shelley, Nevada, 1st
Scott, David, Georgia, 13th
Payne, Donald M., New Jersey, 10th
Burton, Dan, Indiana, 5th
Lucas, Ken, Kentucky, 4th
Inslee, Jay, Washington, 1st
Crowley, Joseph, New York, 7th
Schiff, Adam, California, 29th
Bell, Chris, Texas, 25th
Sanchez, Linda, California, 39th