How Quebec’s secularism law is forcing young women to rethink their futures |
Zeinab Kabeel dreamed of becoming a prosecutor.
Nevien Waly aspired to become a teacher, after stepping away from a career in finance.
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Both their dreams are on hold as the Supreme Court of Canada debates the constitutionality of Bill 21, a Quebec law first passed in 2019 that restricts public sector workers “in positions of authority” – such as prosecutors, police officers and public school teachers – from wearing religious symbols such as the hijab, the kippa or the Sikh turban while performing their duties.
The Quebec government pre-emptively invoked the notwithstanding clause in a failed attempt to shield the bill from court challenges; the pre-emptive use of the clause is now itself being challenged in court.
The tension at the heart of Bill 21 is not confined to Quebec. Just hours before the Supreme Court of Canada heard arguments on the law, Prime Minister Mark Carney spoke at a national prayer breakfast, suggesting that religious values can and should shape how politicians act. The juxtaposition is striking: as Quebec defends a model of state neutrality that restricts visible expressions of faith, Canada’s political leadership continues to affirm a role for religion in public life.
While the case brought by the National Council of Canadian Muslims, the World Sikh........