Was it acceptable to fly the French flag at half-mast when Pope John Paul II died?
Is “laïcité” (secularism) a French invention?
Who owns religious property?
What are the financial resources of the Catholic Church?
Are religious authorities allowed to intervene in public debate?
Is teaching about religion at school the same as providing religious instruction?
What can one do if a friend or family member joins a sect?
How many mosques are there in France?
Are the rites and values of Islam compatible with the principles of the French Republic?
Should the Law of 1905 on the separation of Church and State be revised?


The goal of this book is to facilitate informed, well-argued discussion. It provides answers to 139 questions on the major issues that challenge society today.

Xavier Ternisien is a journalist for the newspaper Le Monde and the author of, most notably, La France des mosquées and Les Frères musulmans.