On Sunday, Quebec’s legislature passed a bill prohibiting government employees, including teachers and police officers, from wearing religious clothing or accessories. The bill passed with an overwhelming 73 to 35 vote and a court challenge has already been filed.
The legislation, Bill 21, was introduced by Quebec’s Minister of Immigration, Diversity of Inclusion, Simon Jolin-Barrette. While speaking before the Quebec Assembly, Jolin-Barrette the “an important step forward” because “[s]ecularism is a value that is dear and fundamental to Quebeckers.”
Representative Hélène David replied to Jolin-Barrette with a very different opinion. “In a few hours, we will be voting on legislation that will disregard the most fundamental rights of Quebeckers … Through his gag procedure, [Jolin-Barrette] tells all Quebeckers who do not agree with him that their opinion does not matter,” she argued before the Assembly.
Bill 21 does not apply to government employees in their current jobs. However, all new government employees will be subject to this new regulation, and if a current government employee accepts a different government job or a promotion, that employee will no longer be exempt.
Additionally, late in the legislative process, Jolin-Barrette added two amendments to “verify the application” of the law and to enforce unspecified “disciplinary measures” against those who violate the law, prompting Quebec Liberal member Marc Tanguay to shout “secularism police!” before the Assembly.
The National Council of Canadian Muslims and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association quickly filed a legal challenge to the bill on Monday and issued a press statement.
“Equality and freedom of religion are universally recognized human rights, and foundational principles in the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms,” says Noa Mendelsohn Aviv, Equality Director at the Canadian Civil Liberties Association. “A law that picks on the most visible of minority groups (many of them racialized and newcomers); that harms women in particular; and that fosters an environment of intolerance and division has no place in a society that values equality and freedom.”
Mustafa Farooq, the Executive Director of the National Council of Canadian Muslims, has also condemned the bill. “As of last night, the Quebec government has legalized religious discrimination — and we won’t stand for it … It will upend people’s lives and livelihoods, pushing many Muslims, Jews and Sikhs to the margins of society in an already-tense time when Islamophobia, anti-Semitism and other forms of racism are on the rise. That is why we will be taking immediate legal action to prevent state-sanctioned second class citizenship.”
The Quebec Assembly of Catholic Bishops criticized the bill as well, saying it “will nourish fear and intolerance, rather than contribute to social peace.”
Despite its strong support in the legislature, Bill 21 has quite a variety of opponents. Unusual alliances will be forged as Christians, Muslims, libertarians, and more begin the legal battle against this aggressive act of authoritarian secularism.
