Quebec’s new secularism law to ban public prayers, face coverings in public institutions
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Quebec’s new secularism law to ban public prayers, face coverings in public institutions")
Quebec Premier François Legault Photograph: (AFP)
The secularism law of the Quebec government also bans communal prayer on public roads and in parks, with the threat of fines of C$1,125 for groups in contravention of the prohibition; however, short public events will be exempt, but only after prior approval of the authorities.
The government of Quebec, the largest province by area in Canada, is planning to intensify its crackdown on public displays of religion in sweeping new legislation that would further tighten secularism rules in public institutions and extend restrictions on religious symbols, prayer spaces, and services in workplaces like schools, universities, hospitals, and day care facilities. Bill 9, introduced by the governing Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) on Thursday, bans prayer in public institutions, including in colleges and universities. It also bans communal prayer on public roads and in parks, with the threat of fines of C$1,125 for groups in contravention of the prohibition, but short public events with prior approval will be exempt.
CAQ has made secularism a key legislative priority, passing the controversial Bill 21, which bans some public sector employees from wearing religious symbols, in 2019. It now plans to extend that prohibition.
Full face coverings would be banned for anyone in the institutions, including students.
Quebec’s secularism minister, Jean-François Roberge, said the new provisions were the latest steps in a province working towards full secularisation. He criticised previous accommodations by post-secondary institutions, including prayer rooms, and said schools “are not temples or churches or those kinds of places”.
The ban on public prayer comes after the group Montreal4Palestine organised Sunday protests outside the city’s Notre-Dame Basilica that included prayers.
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“It’s shocking to see people blocking traffic, taking possession of the public space without a permit, without warning, and then turning our streets, our parks, our public squares into places of worship,” said Roberge.
The province will also limit the offering of kosher and halal meals in public institutions. “We think that when the state is neutral, Quebecers are free,” said Roberge, rejecting allegations the law affects minorities. “We have the same rules applying to everyone,” he said.
However, some Muslims said the new rules feel like a personal attack against their community.
Stephen Brown, president of the National Council of Canadian Muslims, said the move amounts to “political opportunism” and reflects a “doubling down on identity politics and division in a desperate attempt to regain the public’s trust”.
Bill 21 bars judges, police officers, prison guards, and teachers from wearing religious symbols while at work. Other public workers, such as bus drivers, doctors, and social workers, must keep their faces uncovered.
Governments in Canada can pass laws that breach certain fundamental rights if they use a legal mechanism known as the “notwithstanding clause”.
Like Bill 21, the new legislation also invokes the clause preemptively, shielding it from challenges under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
