Bill 62 which was passed in Quebec in October 2017, is a religious neutrality law. This bill states that Quebec citizens who are looking to receive government services or those who work as public officials (ie. doctors, teachers, etc.) must keep their faces uncovered. While this bill is addressed to the public, it is clearly geared towards the Muslim women who choose to wear a niqab (face covering). While not every Muslim woman wears a face covering, some do choose to wear one when out in public, and this bill would effectively force them to become ostracized or to compromise their own personal beliefs. If a Muslim woman chooses to wear a niqab this would hinder their ability to provide a service like being a teacher, as well as carrying out tasks as simple as going to the doctors or riding the bus. This bill claims it aims for “religious neutrality”, however, it is a blatant attack against only Muslim women.
This bill does not target individuals from any other faith group. This bill is not only discriminatory, but it is also unconstitutional. Similar to bill 21, this bill violates “freedom of conscience and religion” and the “freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression”, both of which are under the ‘Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms’.
This bill has many people speaking out against it. "This is the kind of action that drives wedges in communities," said Kathleen Wynne, Ontario’s former premier. Truth be told, she is quite right. This bill effectively alienates women who willingly choose to wear the niqab.
There have been calls to action and protests from Muslim civil rights groups from all over. While individuals can apply to be an exemption to the bill, quite frankly, it should not be in place to begin with. This bill has been challenged at the Supreme Court level, and it was suspended twice. While this was progress, there are still many more strides to be made, especially considering that this bill should not have been put in place in the first place.
Written by Zara K., Age 15
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