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Secularism Media Scan
This webpage offers a database of English-language news stories about secularism, beginning in January 2023. Users can search by date, country of origin, or topic. Top stories are featured at the top of the page.
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03 February 2026
Quebec minister Drainville is consultating on the province's new secularism bill 9 at the National Assembly. The new secularism bill strengthens secularism in the education system and public services.
By CBC News
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All News
Title | Date | Journal | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
Türkiye At Crossroads: An Analogy For Indian Politics | 07/04/2024 | Kashmir Times | This article describes the mayoral elections in Turkey have revealed a result that suggests PresidentTayyip Erdogan's influence is decreasing. The importance of local elections in the country has been highlighted, with mayors hold a similar political weight to chief ministers in regions like India, and Pakistan. |
Geopolitics is impacted by faith-based conflicts | 06/04/2024 | The Weekly Voice | This article describes how religion is playing a significant role in global politics, with the rise of Islamic radicalism, the Israel-Hamas conflict, and the political opposition of Iran, China, and Russia to the US. According to critics, this trend could be harmful in the future, and it is essential to consolidate a democratic world order that prioritizes human rights, universal values, and economic advancement. |
SC stays Allahabad HC order striking down UP Madarsa Act, 2004 | 05/04/2024 | The Weekly Voice | This article delves into the conflict between the Supreme Court and the Allahabad High Court, as the former has stayed the latter's ruling to invalidate the Uttar Pradesh Board of Madarsa Education Act, 2004. The Supreme Court's decision, made on April 5 by a bench led by CJI DY Chandrachud, is a significant development in the ongoing debate over secular policies in India. |
Pellerin: Benoît Pelletier was everything a responsible politician should be | 05/04/2024 | Ottawa Citizen | This article explores the politics of Benoît Pelletier and his efforts to fight for the rights of francophones across the country. The politician has been described as advancing the interests of Quebec as its nation without having a constitutional separation from the rest of Canada. |
How Soccer Reveals Different Meanings Of ‘Secular’ In France And The US | 04/04/2024 | Religion Unplugged | This article explores how "secular" has become vague and lost its precise meaning in the public sphere. French authorities are denying Muslim soccer players accommodation for Ramadan fasting due to concerns over preserving the country's view on secularism. |
Muslims in India's most-populous state protest ban on madrasas | 03/04/2024 | Voices of America | This article describes the recent debate over India’s most populous state protest ban on madrasas, religious places of observance for Muslim communities. |
How will the local elections in Turkey affect the Middle East? | 02/04/2024 | The Jerusalem Post | This article explains Turkey's recent elections where voters chose between AKP's religious right-wing politics and secular nationalist parties. AKP, with roots in the Muslim Brotherhood, has traditionally been popular in central Turkey. However, far-right nationalist parties like MHP now challenge its dominance. This municipal election has created uncertainty, increasing the need for secular government according to citizens. |
Quebecers’ last chance | 02/04/2024 | Actual News Magazine | This article describes the debate over Bill 21, the law of secularism, and Bill 101, the language law, in relation to French-speaking individuals becoming a minority. |
Islamism is dead in Erdogan’s Turkey | 02/04/2024 | MSN | This article sheds light on the ongoing and heated debate in Turkey over the balance between secularism and Islamic influence. The country’s political path, with its uncertain future and the opinions of its citizens, continues to be a subject of intense discussion. |
Asaduddin Owaisi reacts to Supreme Court refusing to stop Hindu prayers in Gyanvapi mosque: ‘Constrained to remind…’ | 01/04/2024 | Hindustan Times | This article discusses a recent Supreme Court ruling that upheld the lower court's decision to permit Hindu prayers in the southern cellar of the Gyanvapi mosque. The Places of Worship Act enforces a non-negotiable obligation to uphold secularism, as mandated by the Indian constitution. However, this ruling has resulted in increased tension between India's Muslim and Hindu communities regarding religious practices, which continues to be debated. |
Places of Worship Act imposes non-derogable obligation towards commitment to secularism | 01/04/2024 | The Indian Express | |
Ekrem Imamoğlu, the Istanbul mayor emerging as likely challenger to Erdoğan | 31/03/2024 | The Guardian | This article describes how Ekrem Imamoglu won in the CHP elections. His promise to deliver democracy, freedom, secularism, equality and solidarity has provided comfort for citizens who fear the implementation of religion in all social parts of society. |
Catholic bishop in Kerala urges faithful to vote for candidates who can protect secularism | 31/03/2024 | The Hindu | This article describes how the Catholic bishop is urging citizens to vote for candidates who will work to protect secularism in the Lok Sabha elections in Kerela. |
Nothing but secularism': French union backs school chief in hijab row | 30/03/2024 | Agence France Presse | This article describes how France’s top union of school principals is firm on upholding the principle of secularism, especially after death threats were made to a headmaster who had instructed a student wearing the veil to remove it before entering the premises of the school. The headmaster resigned, and a debate over secularism in schools began. Prime Minister Gabriel Attal promises to protect both teachers and secularism. |
Quebec Court of Appeal validates CAQ’s discriminatory “state secularism” law | 29/03/2024 | World Socialite | This article criticizes Quebec’s Bill 21 and Quebec’s Court of Appeal’s ruling. It describes its mandates against the Charter as discriminatory in nature. |
Religion in France gives some of today's youth 'a sense of meaning that society is failing to give' | 29/03/2024 | France 24 | This article examines the challenges to secularism in France, which has been considered a universal value of French society for nearly 80 years. Some French citizens perceive secularism as discriminatory and an attack on their values. French youth are starting to view freedom of expression as a personal experience rather than a collective one. This raises questions about whether religious expression and symbols can be included in freedom of expression in public spaces or if the French Constitution requires freedom from religion in French society. |
Uproar in France after school hijab row: French 'laïcité' explained | 28/03/2024 | France 24 | This article is about the recent resignation of a Paris school principal who received death threats after asking a student to remove her Muslim veil on the premises. The incident has sparked a debate about French secularism, a hot-button issue in the country, which is home to Europe's largest Muslim community. Prime Minister Gabriel Attal has defended French secularism in"the wake of the controversy. |
French school principal’s resignation over headscarf death threats sparks uproar | 27/03/2024 | France 24 | This article reports on the resignation of a French school principal due to death threats he received over a Muslim veil. The incident sparked outrage among French politicians from all political parties, who condemned it as an "Islamist" attack on education. The French Prime Minister, Gabriel Attal, announced that the state would file a complaint against the student who falsely accused the headmaster of mistreatment during the incident. The incident highlights the issue of religious symbols in French schools and the challenges facing educators. |
Iranians Celebrate Norouz At Secular Sites Amid Mosque Closures | 26/03/2024 | Iran International | This article discusses how Norouz is celebrated in Iran, particularly amid mosque closures and during Ramadan. It also mentions the lack of separation between religion and state in Iran. Despite the government's encouragement to follow Ramadan traditions and avoid travelling, the Iranian population took advantage of the one-week Norouz holiday to visit the country's ancient and national monuments. |
Court ruling effectively outlaws Islamic schools in India’s most populous state | 25/03/2024 | Saudi Gazette | This article explains that the Allahabad High Court in the Indian State of Uttar Pradesh has banned Islamic schools by striking down the Madrasa Act of 2004, ordering the state government to transfer students enrolled in the Islamic system to mainstream schools. The court called the Madrasa Act of 2004 unconstitutional, stating that it violated the principle of Secularism, a part of the basic structure of the Constitution of India. The ruling can be appealed in the country's Supreme Court. |
Moscow attack raise fresh concerns for Paris Olympics | 25/03/2024 | France 24 | This article describes the security concerns for the Paris Olympics in the context of France's commitment to secularism. With France being a secular country, it has faced several incidences of attacks in recent years, and the authorities are taking all necessary measures to ensure the safety of participants and spectators at the Olympics. The pledge by the French Interior Minister to strengthen security measures indicates France's resolve to uphold secular values while ensuring public safety. |
The end of secularism in India? | 24/03/2024 | Pakistan Today | This article explains India's current political and social values. The Indian Constitution declares India a secular, sovereign, and socialist republic that values justice, equality, and liberty. However, the country is currently moving towards Hindu Nationalist values, which exhibit anti-Muslim rhetoric and disregard for minority groups. |
Allahabad HC scraps UP madrasa law: ‘Shift students to govt schools’ | 23/03/2024 | Hindustan Times | This article explains how Allahabad HC's decision to declare the UP Madarsa Education Act, 2004, unconstitutional will impact students' decision to move into regular schools. Many students contest this idea despite the court finding that the Act violates secularism. |
Violates secularism': High Court nixes Uttar Pradesh madrassa Act | 23/03/2024 | The Times of India | This article discusses the recent ruling of the Allahabad High Court, which declared the Uttar Pradesh Board of Madrassa Education Act, 2004, unconstitutional with the principle of secularism and concerning its scheme and purpose. Certain minority groups are contesting this decision as it has had many implications for them. |
France Football Federation Under Fire for Ramadan Rules | 22/03/2024 | Time | This article discusses the recent controversy surrounding France's soccer governing body, the French Football Federation, over its reported policy prohibiting Muslim athletes from fasting during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan while at the national team's training camp. The French Football Federation argues that this policy aligns with the French legal principle of laïcité, which aims to maintain strict mandates of secularism. |
Religion in modern Ireland: a patchwork of faiths old and new? | 21/03/2024 | The Irish Catholic | This article explores the significance of religion in modern Ireland and how it has changed over the years. The editors of a new handbook on religion in Ireland argue that the country's association with religious devotion is increasingly seen as a thing of the past. However, they emphasize the role of religion in society, politics, and secularism. |
Supreme Court ends long-running legal spat over prayer at Calgary private school | 21/03/2024 | The Canadian Press | This article reports on the recent Supreme Court decision not to hear the appeal in the long-standing legal battle involving a Calgary private school accused of discriminating against two Muslim students regarding prayer space. The school president, Neil Webber, expressed disappointment at the decision and stated that the school would comply with the financial penalty imposed by the Alberta Court of Appeal. |
The Heart of India’s Constitutional Values | 20/03/2024 | Kashmir Life | This article describes the role of secularism in India's national cohesion amidst its diverse cultural, linguistic, and religious plurality. It also describes Nalini Rajan's newly launched book on secularism in India and how it has influenced the country's socio-political landscape. |
Finally Justice For Victims of Religious Persecution | 19/03/2024 | Organizer | This article describes the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) recently implemented in India after the country became more secular. The new law enables individuals who have faced persecution in their home countries to apply for Indian citizenship. This includes people from various minority groups such as Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jains, Christians, as well as nationals from Muslim-majority countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan. |
Indian Elections and so-called secularism | 18/03/2024 | Pakistan Today | This article discusses the scrutiny faced by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a political Indian party, due to its alleged involvement in incidents perceived as discriminatory or antagonistic towards minority communities. These events have sparked debate about the party's commitment to secularism, religious tolerance, and inclusive governance. |
Family, community, are key to overcoming secularism, pope says | 18/03/2024 | The Catholic Sun | This article highlights Pope Francis' call for the Catholic Church to invest in families and other forms of community to overcome the rupture that has been established in the transmission of faith due to decades of rising secularism. On March 15, the pope emphasized the urgent need to recover relationships between families to prevent secularism from dividing them. |
Latin Catholic Church’s call for action against religious intolerance has political ramifications for opposing fronts in Kerala | 17/03/2024 | The Hindu | This article highlights the call for the laity to observe performative acts of prayer and fasting on March 22 as a benign protest against religious bigotry. This form of social action is a response to the growing incidents of religious intolerance and discrimination in society. Individuals can promote peaceful coexistence and demonstrate their commitment to religious harmony by engaging in these acts. |
Minority communities in Canada’s Quebec slam ‘discriminatory’ secularism law: ‘I feel alienated’ | 16/03/2024 | South China Morning Post | This article describes the differing opinions surrounding Quebec's secularism law, which bans public sector employees from wearing religious items at work. Many minority groups plan to take their fight to the Supreme Court after a judge refuses to quash Bill 21. The law has been heavily criticized for being discriminatory, leaving minority communities feeling alienated. Amrit Kaur, a devout Sikh, vows to keep fighting for her rights as a Quebecer. |
Law 21 and Islamophobia, rethinking our policies in the light of living together and solidarity | 15/03/2024 | Actual News Magazine | This article analyzes the impact of Law 21 on the secularism of the State, which the Quebec Court of Appeal has confirmed. The court's decision has sparked a public debate on how this law is affecting specific religious communities, including Sikhs, Jews, and Muslims. |
Diaba Konaté loves France. But a hijab ruling stops her playing there | 15/03/2024 | The Guardian | This article discusses the banning of religious hijab in the sport of basketball by the French Federation of Basketball. Diaba Konate and other basketball players have raised concerns about this ban, as it prevents them from playing if they wear the hijab in France due to the country's secular law. |
Embracing our tradition is how we preserve Quebec | 15/03/2024 | The Hub | The article discusses the shift in Quebec politics from the old cleavage between federalists and sovereignists to the new opposition in the form of the identity question related to secularism. Language, secularism, and immigration have taken center stage in the political rivalry, leaving little space for rational compromise. |
In France, abortion rights and hijab bans highlight a double standard on women’s rights | 14/03/2024 | The Conversation | This article describes how the French parliament has recently passed a law in favour of the right to abortion in the country's constitution. However, the parliament has also reinforced the hijab ban, which has sparked criticism from many people who view it as a double standard. The ban imposes restrictions on the hijab-wearing girls and women belonging to different minority groups due to secular law. The hijab ban in France continues to be debated. |
Algerian filmmakers who offend 'national values' and religion threatened with jail | 13/03/2024 | Le Monde | This article sheds light on the challenges Algerian filmmakers face who attempt to incorporate national values and religious themes into their films, which the need for parliament does not support. As a result, the country has enacted a law that prohibits the film industry from creating and producing films that touch on these sensitive topics, and those who do so face the threat of imprisonment. |
Rising Islamophobia in France and across Europe appears alarming - official | 13/03/2024 | Trend News Agency | This article explains the growing concern over the rising Islamophobia in France and throughout Europe. The escalation of Islamophobia is a result of the functionality of religions in society. |
"End-of-life" bill raises concerns among religious leaders in France | 13/03/2024 | La Croix International | This article discusses the recent end-of-life bill in France, which has raised concerns among religious leaders. The law is being opposed by Jewish, Protestant, and Muslim authorities due to the ethical implications of assisting someone in ending their life. This has sparked a debate on the intersection of secularism and religion in legislative policies in France. |
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