Muslim Women Most Impacted by Quebec's Secularism Laws

• Published in: The Washington report on Middle East affairs Vol. 41; no. 4; p. 48
• Main Author: Bodnaruk, Candice
• Format: Journal Article Magazine Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington American Educational Trust 01.06.2022
• Subjects: Appeals; Charters; Demonstrations & protests; Equal rights; Extremism; Federal government; Freedom of religion; Government mandates; Human rights; Laws, regulations and rules; Media coverage; Muslims; Nationalism; Public sector; Refugees; Religion; Secularism; White supremacy; Women and religion; Canada; Manitoba; Ontario; Syria; Manitoba Canada; United States > US; Quebec Canada; Ukraine; Yemen
• ISSN: 8755-4917; 2163-2782

Bodnaruk asserts that In 2019, the Quebec government passed Bill 21, also known as Quebec's Religious Symbols law or Laicity of the state, which prohibits people from wearing religious symbols, including the hijab, turban and kippah at work in the public sector. The Quebec Superior Court struck down parts of the law in 2021, but most of the discriminatory law remains intact. Quebec's Bill 21 overrides freedom of religion in the province and has led to the suspension of a Grade 3 teacher from her classroom. Shahina Siddiqui, volunteer executive director with Islamic Social Services Manitoba, echoed those same concerns. She told the Washington Report that she is "deeply concerned" about the impact Fatemeh Anvari's case is having on Muslim girls who are considering the teaching profession in Quebec. Their future and their confidence in their future has been impacted as well as their freedom of choice, she said.