Meeting in Hendaye May 31, 2009, leaders of Europa Laïca from Spain and Fédération Nationale de la Libre Pensée from France, in order to take stock of the situation of secularism in France and Spain, as well as in Europe, from a political, legal and social viewpoint as well as possible joint activities in defense of the separation of religions and the State, in every country, for genuine secularism in Europe;

Declare:

1°)- we reaffirm the commitment of both our organizations to demand for all the countries in Europe:

  Separation of religions and the State in order to respect the complete freedom of conscience.
  An end to Church taxes, which is a true financial racket.
  Abrogation of crimes “against religious feelings” (offence of blasphemy).
  Complete secularization of public education, which should be the only one to receive public money.

2°)- we reject the use of concepts such as “cultures” or “civilizations” which often only serve to conceal the submission of individual minds to communalist dictates, whose aim is to substitute the many identities of people with only one classification, whose main characteristic is religion.

The achievement of secularism in Europe is in direct connection with the fact that no one living in Europe should feel excluded or stigmatized for the only reason of any religious or non religious belief.

We launch an appeal to all democratic forces to defend relentlessly the basic ideas of secularism, which are those of democracy, and against fanaticism and the interference of religious lobbies that violate separation of religions and the State.

Separation of religions and the State is a basic democratic liberty which should be a principle applied in every country.

Hendaye, May 31, 2009