The Canadian province of Quebec plans to impose restrictions on public prayer and limit the exclusive offering of religion-based menus, like kosher and halal meals, in public institutions.
The latest efforts to strengthen state secularism, dubbed secularism 2.0, are part of a new bill introduced by the governing Coalition Avenir Quebec (CAQ) on Thursday, expanding on a 2019 religious symbols law that has fuelled fierce debate throughout the country.
The original law prevents judges, police officers, teachers, and public servants from wearing symbols such as the kippah, turban, or hijab while at work.
Canada's Supreme Court will hear a legal challenge of that law early next year.
Jean-François Roberge, the minister responsible for secularism, stated the bill respects individual and collective rights. Proposed measures include:
- Extending the ban on wearing religious symbols to subsidised daycare staff
- Barred collective religious practices, such as prayer, in public spaces without municipal authorization
- Prevent students and staff from wearing face coverings in daycare through post-secondary education
Roberge remarked that the limits on public prayer stem from recent debates over pro-Palestinian protests and the public’s reaction to them.
Despite supportive sentiment towards secularism, the new measures have faced critique. The opposition, Parti Québecois, accuses the CAQ of sowing division ahead of next year's election, while the National Council of Canadian Muslims criticized the bill as an attempt to address identity politics.
This legislative shift continues a longstanding discourse on secularism in Quebec that has been contentious since the implementation of Bill 21 six years ago.
