[ad_1]
On Tuesday, July 30, 2024, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Senegal, while receiving the winners of the general competition after the award by the President of the Republic, took a position on a sensitive issue: the ban on wearing the veil in some schools. He firmly declared: “Some things can no longer be tolerated in this country.. In Europe they are constantly telling us about their lifestyle and style, but it is up to them.
In Senegal, we will no longer allow certain schools to ban the veil. ” His remarks sparked a strong reaction from the National Council of the Laity, which expressed indignation and recalled the importance of respecting the rules and values of private Catholic education, while stressing the historical harmony between different cultures and cultural groups in Senegal.
The full text is as follows:
On Tuesday, July 30, 2024, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Senegal, after receiving the winners of the General Competition in an audience with His Excellency the President of the Republic, made the following statement: This country will no longer tolerate it. In Europe, they keep telling us about their lifestyle and style, but it is up to them. In Senegal, we will no longer allow certain schools to ban the veil. “
To make it clearer, he added: “Be careful of institutions that refuse to accept a girl simply because she wears a veil”.
2- The barely veiled threats contained in these statements give a special tone to a question that is not new. In 2019, this debate was raised. The powerful arguments provided at that time by the National Laity Council helped to return to reason.
3- This time, what is new is the fact that the higher state authorities also responded, announcing a final ruling against educational institutions, point “contumax”, but its judgment was not considered and triggered popular reprisals.
4- The National Council of the Laity expresses its indignation at this statement which it considers clumsy. These indecent remarks by the head of the Government of the secular democratic Republic of Senegal are likely to offend the sensitivities of the justice- and truth-loving Senegalese people, especially full citizens of the Catholic faith who are threatened with a legitimate challenge to, frankly, private Catholic institutions.
5- The implications in the Prime Minister’s statement are likely to lead people to believe that being Catholic means having Western culture and that the Church has no prejudice against this. They also create the illusion of a problem when in fact, private Catholic schools are completely dependent on the Ecclesiastical Province of Dakar, which brings together the seven (7) dioceses of the country, and respect the laws and regulations that govern our country.
6- We should be thankful that Senegal is a country where multiple cultures have coexisted harmoniously for a long time, long before the emergence of the Abrahamic religions that we welcome. This peaceful coexistence of multiple cultures and beliefs, the practice of “joking cousins” and the different mechanisms of solidarity experienced in daily or major celebrations can be seen as a manifestation of the common desire to “live in one common. ”
According to a press release from the National Laity CouncilIt is therefore imperative for public authorities to maintain and strengthen these balances, promoting the expression of this diversity by constructing spaces of equality and reciprocity.
8- Catholic private education, for its part, strongly spreads the message of evangelical hospitality and welcoming cultural and religious diversity, inscribing in its educational program respect for others. It therefore seeks to build on the Senegalese Constitution, which, in its articles 8, 7 and 8 respectively, provides for the right of every Senegalese citizen to an education and to know how to read and write.
9- This is how the Catholic Church has invested and invested in the education of Senegalese and foreigners living in Senegal, especially in rural areas, for more than two (2) centuries, without distinction of race, religion, gender, culture or ethnicity.
10- Clearly, and without a doubt, the Christian values that underpin the educational program of private Catholic institutions, respect for the constitutional principles of equality, freedom, mutual respect and, in short, living together, are enough to convince the Senegalese parties, from all conditions and religious denominations.
11- In addition, while some students are still studying in temporary public shelters, from the Confucius Institute to the final year, a total of 119,868 students were enrolled in private Catholic schools (excluding preschools), of which 33,664 were Catholic, accounting for only 28.08%. The Church has been working with the Senegalese government on the delicate issue of national education. However, it cannot question the principles of its educational program inspired by evangelical values.
12- Furthermore, the internal regulations of Catholic private educational institutions do not affect the neutrality of the education provided, nor the freedom of conscience of students and their religious beliefs. Moreover, it guarantees that the school organization and the educational program of a particular institution do not violate its obligation to welcome children regardless of their origin, views or beliefs.
13- Therefore, private Catholic institutions cannot tolerate, in the name of any conviction or belief, attitudes and behaviors that are contrary to the principles and spirit of their educational programs. They firmly oppose behaviors that violate the general rules of discipline and are detrimental to common life and the proper functioning of any institution.
14- For example, students refuse to sit with classmates of the opposite sex in class or on the playground, refuse to wear school uniforms for gymnastics, gather together and self-isolate because of religious beliefs. The same reasons are used to refuse to strictly wear school uniforms on the playground. (See the open letter of the National Laity Commission in 2019).
15- In this regard, the National Council of the Laity supports private Catholic institutions and encourages them to continue to respect the provisions of Law No. 91-22 of 30 January on the direction of national education, as amended, which states: “Public and private educational institutions, in accordance with the principle of national secularism, may offer optional religious education. Parents are free to choose whether or not to give their children this kind of education.”
16- In this prism, those who do not wish to respect the internal regulations of private Catholic institutions must blame themselves for attitudes and behaviors of self-isolation and self-exclusion; all gestures that are incompatible with the spirit of family and openness and communal living that Catholic schools and Senegal promote. It is therefore the responsibility of parents and students who freely choose these institutions to comply with the requirements of the internal regulations and the goals that motivate their educational projects.
17- In this context, the controversial issue of the veil is only the result of the request to respect the general rule that derives from the principle of living together in equal dignity and respect for cultural and religious diversity within private Catholic educational institutions. It must be strictly limited to the framework of internal regulations that students and their parents must follow with full knowledge of the facts.
18- Any other explanation would be mere speculation, since the Catholic Church, renowned for its pastoral work, continues its work by actively participating in the social and economic development of the country, in addition to its educational projects. This is particularly true in the areas of health and human capital development.we notice the same dynamism in philanthropic actions targeting all social classes, regardless of religion or origin. Fortunately, public policies in these sub-sectors are accompanied by so many initiatives.
19- In the light of the above, the National Council of the Laity, faithful to its values of peace and fraternity and in the name of the highest good of the country, invites all the dynamic forces of the country, especially the public authorities, to consolidate common life in order to build lasting social stability in Senegal, a key factor for inclusive economic and social development. In addition, he recalled the need to respect the internal regulations of Catholic schools, which prohibit all missionary activities in schools.
20- The National Laity Council is open to any form of dialogue that emphasizes living together, stability and peace in the country. Long live Senegalese schools! Long live living together! Long live Senegal!
National Council of Laity of Senegal,
Dr. Philippe Abraham Birane
[ad_2]
Source link
