The ban on the wearing of "conspicuous religious symbols" in French schools earlier this year provoked an outcry from Muslims, giving one the impression that it was only Muslims who were hit by the ban. In fact the new law prohibits not only Muslim pupils and students from wearing head scarves but also Sikhs from wearing turbans, Jews from wearing skullcaps and Christians from wearing large crosses or crucifixes.

Now the ban has been extended also to Catholic priests and nuns. In spite of the fact that the French constitution is "fiercely secular", French law has, so far, upheld the right of Catholic priests to visit schools and minister to pupils.

Now that, it seems, is going to end. A number of schools in the South of France, citing the recent law, have withdrawn permission for priests to carry out their ministry among pupils. The same thing is happening in Germany.

According to reports appearing in the UK Catholic press, a federal court in Leipzig has declared that the law passed in April against Muslim symbols, viz. the wearing of head scarves by girls, should also apply to Catholics. As a result nuns who work in Government schools, even in predominantly Catholic areas, must remove their habit before entering schools.

The measures against religious symbols adopted first in France and now in parts of Germany were supposedly inspired by a determination to stamp out Islamic fundamentalism because of a conviction that it is closely connected with terrorism.

One may agree or disagree with such a line of reasoning; after all no concrete evidence exists which would justify such conclusions. Violence can be inspired by racial, political as well as religious intolerance.

A belief in the One, true God (shared by Muslims, Jews and Christians) which is truly genuine should, on the contrary, help to eradicate injustices, hatred and intolerance which are often at the root of violence and bloodshed.

Rather than abolishing religious signs from schools, governments should take measures to strengthen the values of equality, justice, tolerance and understanding among all, irrespective of race, colour or creed.

With the recent anti-Christian measures in parts of France and Germany no doubt in mind, the Pope has issued a document criticising the new tendency of secular states to fear religious symbols on the ground that they encourage intolerance. "Let us not be afraid to talk of God and wear the signs of faith with pride," he urged.