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Quebec Proposes Ban On Religious Symbols, Stirs Controversy!
Quebec’s proposed ban on public and civil employees wearing religious symbols becomes a subject of controversy again after the turban ban on soccer players.
Quebec’s right-winged party, Parti Quebecois (PQ) has called for the ban for all religious symbols worn by public employees. According to Francois Legault, the leader of CAQ party told Toronto Sun that although the step to ban religious symbols was controversial, it was a necessary step to preserve the “state neutrality.” The religious symbols include crucifixes, turbans, and yarmulkes.
For Legault, any “person of authority” including judges, police officers, Crown prosecutors, and prison guards who will be subject to the ban. Legault said in a news conference: “What we say also is that we should exclude religious signs for employees being in authority, like judges, policemen — and teachers because we think that teachers, they have in front of them children in a vulnerable position. But, that’s it. We don’t think, like the Parti Quebecois, that we should extend this exclusion to doctors, nurses, all civil servants.
We think that they should have the right to continue to wear a religious sign because they are not in an authority position. So we think it’s a balanced position, it’s a responsible position and we hope that the Parti Quebecois turns the page as soon as possible because we know that this debate will divide Quebec.”
Pauline Marois speaks at the "Universite d'ete des jeunes du Parti Quebecois" event in Quebec City, Sunday, August 25, 2013. The Quebec premier rejects any suggestion the Charter of Quebec Values would be a source of division amongst the population, but has suggested the controversial Bill 14 could be doomed /Francis Vachon The Canadian Press
The Pauline Maoris government wants to also further crack down on preventing any government employee including teachers in schools, public hospitals, day cares and other state workplaces from wearing religious symbols in the public space. In a news conference in Quebec City, Legault said, “It's a question of credibility on the part of citizens who have diverse beliefs.”
The proposed law has led to multiple reactions from political leaders all around Canada. While Liberal leader Justin Trudeau has opposed the law firmly but politely, Tom Muclair’s New Democrats government has not responded to the issue silently wishing for it to disappear and Stephen Harper’s conservative government has chosen quite vigorously to not disclose or say anything to the law!
Although arguably one could call the law 'racist', the Liberal Leader has refrained to call it as such but has instead called it counterproductive and unnecessary – a step that would tarnish the image of Quebec around the world! According to The Star, who had earlier not commented on the issue now claims that it will make many Quebecers scapegoats!
Mr. Couillard told the Globe and Mail that he found the proposition seems to be “unreasonable and exaggerated.” Furthermore he continued on to say that “our position will not change.”
RELIGIOUS SYMBOLS FACING QUEBEC BAN
o Crucifixes
o Turbans
o Burkas
o Niqabs
o Hijabs
o Yarmulkes
SYMBOLS WOULD BE BANNED IN:
o Provincial government buildings
o Public schools
o Hospitals
o Public daycares
This fiery debate sparked in the lieu of recent controversy regarding the soccer turban ban.
Prominent lawyer Julius Grey and said in an interview, “The type of secularism that is being promoted goes beyond what is acceptable. Now, it doesn't mean that the Supreme Court will not uphold it. Legal decisions aren't made in a vacuum and maybe our atmosphere, our social climate, is changing to the point where this will be the future. I hope not.”
Feature Image: i.huffpost.com
Images & Source: The Canadian Press, The Star, www2.macleans.ca, torontosun.com, cbc.ca, and raven.b-it.ca
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