You asked for comments regarding the French move to outlaw religious symbols in schools and other institutions (12/02/04). It would seem that this is a debate about freedom of religious expression versus the tyranny of the majority. Even if 70 per cent of French citizens want a secular state, the minority should have rights too. Enforced secularism is as bad as enforced religion. The essential principle of law in a non-authoritarian society is that nothing should be banned unless we can see that it causes harm. What harm is done by someone wearing a Hijab headscarf or a crucifix? Even America's founding fathers warned of elective dictatorship, or the tyranny of the majority over minorities. The Green Party says there is one proper function of government in a case like this: to protect the rights of all individuals, include the right to practise or not practise a religion.

Ivi Szaboova-Baxendale