ABSTRACT
Should French secularism (laïcité) be considered an exception, a source of inspiration or a challenge to the democratic management of religious diver sity? In other words, is French secularism a historical model to follow or is it a rather negative example of an endless source of social conflicts and juridi cal readjustments to be avoided? For the last three decades, beginning with the debate on private schools in 1983, the secular nature of the French state has been a subject of media attention. This has led to all types of religious issues being placed at the forefront of public debates and has given rise to some legislative adjustments.
