French Foreign Ministry Establishes Religious Department

A story, published in today's Le Monde, comments that some will surely see this as a further sign of "positive secularism" advocated by the president, Nicolas Sarkozy. Others, will see this as the spirit of time that gives the religion more clear role in the clash of civilizations. In any case, since June 1st, a religious center was established within the Department of prospective in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a first in France.

The minister Bernard Kouchner sees the origin of this creation as "an effect of globalization and the need for modernization of attitudes." He says the reflection for a consideration of religious settings was "poor" in the French diplomacy. This goes back to the times of Cardinal Richelieu, whose doctrine of raison d'État was not religious in its core, despite him being a prince of the Church. Although, he did have his own justifications of how raison d'État could benefit the work of God.

"We have incorporated the demography, ecology and pandemics in strategic thinking, why not religion? All the wars that I had known have carried varying degrees of religious stories," says Kouchner, referring to the conflicts in Kosovo, Sri Lanka or Lebanon.

"In some countries, doing politics, we are talking religion and vice versa. We can not ignore this", defends his director's view the head of the new religious center at the French Foreign Ministry, Joseph Maila. He is a specialist in Islam and sociology of conflict, founder of the Institute for training in mediation and negotiation.

Most conflicts today have their origin or explanation in the unique religious differences: "The religious center has only 6 people for 16,000 diplomats", says Kouchner. But its proponents argue that the French diplomatic service, imbued with the principles of secularism, is sometimes behind in matters of religion.

Another goal of the Religious Center is to educate diplomats of the new generation in matters of religion.

"How can mediation in a conflict be successful if you do not know the difference between Shi'a and Sunni, between a Greek Orthodox and Maronite?" asks Mr. Maïla. Originally from Lebanon, the Catholic intellectual - a former rector of the Catholic Institute of Paris - has taken a close interest in the Taif agreement, which in 1989 ended the Lebanese civil war by redistributing the powers within the different religious communities. "Some conflicts are resolved by a compromise between religious communities", he insists, while stating: "The purpose of the center remains political and diplomatic, and diplomacy is still controlled by secular values."

Relying on experts, The Center must reflect on upstreams, follow the great religious movements around the world and their possible implications for policy, where appropriate with the active diplomacy of France. This prospective work should focus on developments in evangelical Protestantism, the different facets of Islam and Islamism around the world, the weight of Orthodoxy in Russia and the waves of religious proselytizing.

The religious center at the foreign ministry of France will centralize international responses, statements or decisions of France on religious subjects. One of its first tasks was to give the ambassadors a common language on the issue of wearing of burqas in France. They were advised to focus on women's dignity, safety and the specialties of French culture.

The French religious center also works on matters affecting the theological foundation of the Iranian Constitution in the current crisis. In the coming weeks, experts could be asked to assess the consequences of a conviction of the Church of Scientology on relations with the United States. Or consider the relationship of France with a group like the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), a federation of 57 countries based on religion.

So far, the diplomatic experience of France in religious matters was confined to its relations with the Vatican. Since the 1920s and the normalization of diplomatic relations between France and the Vatican, an adviser for religious affairs has been attached to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Prepared by Armen Hareyan
Materials from Le Monde Report and Henry Kissinger's Diplomacy were used in this story.