Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard says Bill 62, which bans Muslim women from wearing the niqab is based on a principle shared by the ‘vast majority of Canadians’
(Photo: Asclepias/WikiCommons)
Ala Abbas
Muslim women will be required to remove the niqab to access public services, like riding a bus, under a new law passed on October 18 by the Quebec National Assembly.
“We are in a free and democratic society. You speak to me, I should see your face, and you should see mine. It’s as simple as that,” said Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard.
“We are just saying that for reasons linked to communication, identification and safety, public services should be given and received with an open face,” Couillard told reporters.
The new law, also known as Bill 62 or the religious neutrality legislation, forbids public workers and those who wish to access a public service from wearing a face covering, including the niqab and burqa. Public workers include teachers, day care workers and doctors.
The Bill was introduced in 2015 but was shelved after the shooting at a Quebec City mosque last January, where six Muslims died while praying.
Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, said the Federal Government does not interfere with provincial laws, but will work to ensure the rights of all Canadians are respected.
“I will continue to work to ensure that all Canadians are protected by the charter, while respecting the choices that different parliamentarians can make at different levels,” he said.
“Yet here at the Federal level, we stand up for the rights of all Canadians.”
Leader of the New Democratic Party, Jagmeet Singh, said he’s “completely opposed” to the law, and he’s confident the legislation will be challenged.
Couillard acknowledged the law could face a legal challenge, but said it was crafted to be compatible with the Canadian Charter of
Rights and Freedoms, as well as the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms.
The new law also states that religious ‘requests’, including taking time off for religious holidays, should respect the right to equality between men and women and “the right of every person to be treated without discrimination.” It also bars public childcare providers from teaching children specific religious beliefs.
Quebec Justice Minister, Stephanie Vallee, said the law is necessary for “communication reasons, identification reasons and security reasons.”
“This is a Bill about le vivre ensemble [living together in harmony], it’s a Bill about guidelines and clearly establishes the neutrality of the state,” she said. Guidelines on how to apply the law will be phased in by the end of next June, after consultations with groups, Vallee said.
But Montreal Mayor, Denis Coderre, has criticised the Bill and said the province has no right to tell city workers what to wear. He expressed concerns about the potential ramifications of the law, especially when it came to using public transport: “We have niqab police as bus drivers?” he said.
“Will we refuse to provide [women wearing niqab] services if they are freezing with their children?”
Quebec MP Alexandra Mendès, who is also strongly opposed to the law, said that Ottawa will have to intervene because she “strongly doubts” the law is consistent with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. “Listen to me as a Quebecer and a feminist: I will never tell a woman how to dress,” she said.
Samaa Elibyari from the Canadian Council of Muslim Women said the law is disturbing because it focuses on Muslims. “It gives the impression that we are a problem.” The National Council of Canadian Muslims has said it is prepared to challenge the law in court
