France

A French court has rejected an appeal by the Church of Scientology, upholding 2009 fraud charges and a 600,000 euro fine for convincing members into spending tens of thousands of euros.

On Tuesday, France's highest administrative court handed down a final ruling on five cases involving the public use of funds for religious purposes. Religious scholars say the place of Islam in French society is at stake.

As the April 11 date approaches for the implementation of a ban on wearing full face veils in public places, French President Nicolas Sarkozy's UMP party opens a debate on secularism and Islam amid signs of dissent within the party.

One week before a parliamentary session on secularism and the role of Islam in France, French religious leaders have written an editorial casting doubt on a debate they say could fuel prejudice.

Product DescriptionWhy do secular states pursue different policies toward religion? This book provides a generalizable argument about the impact of ideological struggles on the public policy making process, as well as a state-religion regimes index of...