(3 Feb 2004)
APTN
Paris - February 3 2004
1. Exterior of French National Assembly
2. Pan from parliament debate on TV screen to journalists in parliament hall
3. Set up shot Elizabeth Guigou, former Justice Minister and Socialist MP (Member of parliament)
4. SOUNDBITE: (French) Elizabeth Guigou, former Justice Minister and Socialist MP
"A law won't solve all the problems. This is clear. There must not be any religious signs in schools. This is a neutral area. But the law won't solve all the problems, so of course we must maintain the dialogue and especially also take care of everything, outside school, that concerns social integration."
5. Pan down on journalists and politicians in parliamentary hall
6. Cameramen surrounding Eric Woerth, MP from Chirac's Union Majority Party (UMP)
7. SOUNDBITE: (French) Eric Woerth, MP from Chirac's UMP party
"This law must be adopted. Maybe it needs some amendments, that we can talk about. I think that conciliation is good but this law must become active so the people concerned in school can use it."
8. Parliamentarians walking from room
9. Journalists in hall
10. Set up shot of Noel Mamere, MP Green Party
11. SOUNDBITE: (French) Noel Mamere, MP Green Party
"So I think that we are playing a dangerous game by trying to set up armies of new religious wars. Our society does not need this. And I think that the law on the veil is a way of hiding real problems that the Republic does not want to take care of."
12. Woman in parliament hall looking at French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin on TV
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Aubervilliers - Recent
13. Various of girls outside school wearing Islamic head scarf
POOL
Paris - February 3 2004
14. Wideshot of parliament
15. Set up shot of Jean-Pierre Raffarin, French Prime Minister
16. SOUNDBITE: (French) Jean-Pierre Raffarin, French Prime Minister (Part overlaid with wideshot of parliament)
"Certain religious signs - and amongst them the Muslim veil - are multiplying in our schools. They have begun to take on political connotations and can no longer be considered as mere personal signs of belonging to a religion. Some have wanted to see how far they could push this. Today we are giving them a reply - it was time for the Republic to call on its great principles and to fix clear, practical and operational limits."
17. Politician listening
18. Wide shot of parliament
STORYLINE:
French parliament started debating the government's controversial plan to ban religious apparel in public schools on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin opened the debate on the bill to ban "conspicuous" religious symbols from the classroom, a measure of just how important the legislation is to the government.
Raffarin told legislators, "certain religious signs - and amongst them the Muslim veil - are multiplying in our schools. They have begun to take on political connotations and can no longer be considered as mere personal signs of belonging to a religion".
He said it was time "for the Republic to call on its great principles and to fix clear, practical and operational limits".
The bill, likely to be among the most hotly debated in recent years, would also ban Jewish skullcaps and large Christian crosses from public schools, but French authorities have made clear that it is aimed at Muslim head coverings.
A ban - considered discriminatory by some Muslims - is seen as a means of guaranteeing respect for France's secular foundations, which ensure a strict separation of church and state in the public domain.
A tentative voting date has been set for February 10.
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