In early 2019, the Coalition Avenir Quebec (CAQ) government passed Bill 21, which bans public workers in positions of authority from wearing religious symbols while on duty. Specifically, the law affects any public employee who carries a weapon (including any law officers), crown prosecutors, government lawyers, judges, school principals and teachers. The reasoning behind enacting this, as explained in the text of the bill, is that Quebec is a “lay State”. This means that Quebec is supposed to be a state for people who are not in the clergy. The laicity of the state is based on four principles, one of which is Quebec’s religious neutrality, but also freedom of conscience and religion.
If you feel that this law infringes on the freedom of religion in a lay State, you’d actually be in the minority amongst most Quebecians, who are overwhelmingly in support of the bill. But things may be changing in public opinion in Quebec due to a third grade teacher being fired for wearing a hijab at the beginning of the year. A recent poll also found that the Jewish community of Quebec feels alienated in the wake of Bill 21. Among the poll’s many interesting findings, the most compelling is that 60% of Jewish individuals feel that they don’t feel like “full-fledged” members of society in Quebec.
In truth, no matter what the State’s reasoning for this law is, it is clear the province is bent on becoming a place that discourages practicing religion. Quebec society is very sheltered, with most Quebecers having very little contact with people from non-Christian religions. This law was clearly made and passed by those who don’t care to consider people who may be unlike them. Bill 21 is still just one tool that the Quebec government is using to push the province into secularism, a move that is quickly creating an environment that is hostile to openly religious individuals.
When we begin to ban individuals from expressing their faith, we are infringing on their freedom of speech and religion. Quebec can be a lay State all it wants, but that does not mean that its citizens should have to be present or be secular as well. The recent poll shows that not only is this law restrictive, but it also is making Jewish people scared. Once we begin to police personal identity, we begin down a dark path of uniformity and surveillance. A world in which everyone is the same (or at least presents that way) is not a world I want to live in. But it seems that for most Quebecers their circles are fairly homogeneous.
I will be interested to see where this goes, and if there will be a flood of Jewish emigrants from Quebec. This law makes me fear for my Quebec brothers and sisters, but I am almost certain this is not the last law that will be made in the name of maintaining the laicity of the state.
Hadass Galili is a senior studying political science pre-law at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnist do not reflect those of The Post. Do you agree? Tell Hadass by tweeting her at @HadassGalili.
