France's Sarkozy Criticized For Positive References To Religion

Reuters on Thursday reported that French President Nicolas Sarkozy is under increasing criticism by those who say he is violating the French notions of church-state separation by his frequent positive references to God and religion. Last Monday in Riyadh, he called Islam "one of the greatest and most beautiful civilisations the world has known." Reuters says: "At issue is Sarkozy's break with a French tradition that sees faith strictly as a private affair. This began with the 1905 law and grew into a kind of political correctness that made bringing religion into public affairs a major taboo."