Quebec law banning hijab at work creates 'politics of fear', say critics [View all]

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

Quebec law banning hijab at work creates ‘politics of fear', say critics

Reuters in Montreal
Mon 17 Jun 2019 17.42 BST Last modified on Mon 17 Jun 2019 19.26 BST

Civil liberties and Muslim groups have vowed to challenge a new law in the Canadian province of Quebec that bans some public sector employees from wearing religious symbols during work hours, arguing it triggered the “politics of fear”.

Critics said the long-expected Bill 21 that was passed by the predominately French-speaking province’s legislature on Sunday mainly targeted Muslim women who wear hijabs.

“We will be filing a challenge to the law,” said Mustafa Farooq, executive director of the National Council of Canadian Muslims. “I think Bill 21 is a law that will do irreparable harm to communities in Quebec.

“This creates a second-class citizenship,” he said, adding that the group would seek a court injunction to block the law that he called “a recipe for the politics of fear”.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jun/17/quebec-law-hijab-ban-religious-symbols-public-employees