E/CN.4/2006/5/Add.4 page 8 III. RELIGION AND BELIEF IN FRANCE 20. In the absence of official figures, it is difficult to obtain accurate statistics on the number of people affiliated to different religions in France since there is no obligation to register one’s religion. 21. The majority of people in France claim a certain link to the Roman Catholic Church. However, only a minority actively practise the religion. The other Christian denominations in the country include the Protestant community, the Orthodox community and many other smaller Christian groups such as the Evangelical churches. 22. The population of Muslim background is between 4 and 5 million. While it is often reported that they constitute the second-largest religious group, it is extremely difficult to accurately measure the number of them who are effectively practising their religion, including because there is no registration of religious communities. The Muslim population is mainly of Algerian and Moroccan origin but also from Afghanistan, Egypt, India, Islamic Republic of Iran, Lebanon, Pakistan, Syrian Arab Republic (the) and Turkey. 23. At the end of the 1980s, the Government created the Conseil de Réflexion sur l’Islam de France, the first, albeit unsuccessful, attempt at a unified representation of Muslims. Other attempts also failed to bear fruit, including because of the links between French Muslim federations and foreign countries. 24. As a result of significant efforts carried out by the Government, CFCM was created on 23 February 2003 and Dalil Boubakeur, rector of the Great Paris Mosque, was elected as its chairperson. Similarly to other religious communities, CFCM is a body that represents the Muslim religious community and therefore constitutes an interlocutor for the Government. 25. CFCM is the object of much controversy. Many Muslims criticize its position as being too close to the Government and too conciliatory on certain religious issues. Furthermore, many supporters of secularism blame the Government for being too involved in CFCM. 26. The Jewish community is an important religious minority in France, accounting for approximately 600,000 people, but reportedly only a portion of them actively practise their religion. 27. Other religious communities or communities of belief include Buddhists, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Sikhs, the Church of Scientology and many others. 28. Finally, according to some estimates, 6 per cent of the population has no religious affiliation. Some of these persons have created associations but they sometimes complain about lack of access to the media for expressing another conception of life and the world.