It took a pandemic to highlight the irony and absurdity of preventing people from participating in society because of their religious practice.
Posted yesterday at 1:00 p.m.
Think about it.
A few years ago, Muslim women who covered their faces with a niqab, a minimal number, were told by Quebec politicians that they could not receive public services. Today, covering your face when receiving services has become the norm!
We were also told repeatedly that people wearing religious clothing, such as the Jewish yarmulke, Sikh turban or Muslim hijab, could not hold positions of authority, whether as teachers, lawyers, police officers, etc. .
However, in the emergency situation caused by the Omicron variant, the Legault government declared that Bill 21 would not apply to volunteer parents who came to replace absent educators.
There may be a clear lesson to be learned from this exceptional period.
Each of us, whatever our religious affiliation, origins or beliefs, has much to contribute to society. It is perhaps this slow realization that explains the recent decline in support for Bill 21 in the province. A new poll conducted for the Association for Canadian Studies has revealed that just over half of Quebecers are in favor of banning the wearing of religious symbols by teachers in public schools, which represents a drop from in support of 64% reported last fall.
This notable drop is attributed to the case of Fatemah Anvari, the Chelsea teacher who lost her job because of her headscarf. As people become aware of the impact of this law on students when there is a shortage of teachers, hearts are changing.
We realize that it is perhaps more useful to our society to be interested in what Fatemah has in her head, rather than on it.
The consequences of negative views on minority communities range from “slight difference” in treatment, to discrimination in employment, housing and health, to harassment and violence. Five years ago, negative opinions led a young man to enter the mosque in Quebec City and kill six men in cold blood, while injuring many others.
It is not enough to condemn this violence – which Quebeckers have done in considerable and heartwarming numbers. A commitment to understanding how we got here must follow, so that such an atrocity can never happen again.
The fourth edition of Muslim Discovery Week provides an opportunity for people of diverse backgrounds and experiences to get to know Quebec Muslims better. To mark the anniversary of the Quebec City mosque massacre on January 29, which for the first time this year will be a National Day of Remembrance, events involving residents of various cities across the province will be broadcast online from January 25 to January 31. The theme, “Bridging the Gap Against Islamophobia,” aims to raise awareness of the richness and diversity of our communities.
At 25 online events, experts representing academia, social justice, arts, media, politics, and more. will present interactive workshops and lively conversations, which will give visibility to Muslim communities. Our friends and allies will join us throughout the programming, to show how our communities are fully integrated, working hand in hand with others to advance an inclusive, safe and prosperous Quebec.
It’s our turn to show our fellow Quebecers who we really are – an integral part of the greater us who make up the people of this beautiful province. We are proud to be part of it and to contribute to it, whether in times of prosperity or crisis, because this is our home.
Let’s make Quebecers a united people. And this week, a time of encounters, understanding and friendship.