Charlottetown lobbied for motion on Quebec’s religious symbol prohibition

Debate over the legislation was revived final December with information that a instructor in Chelsea, Que., had been reassigned due to her hijab.

Since then, plenty of municipal governments together with these in Halifax, Toronto and Winnipeg have handed motions in opposition to Invoice 21 and a few have made monetary contributions to assist the joint authorized problem to the invoice being introduced by the Nationwide Council of Canadian Muslims, the World Sikh Group and the Canadian Civil Liberties Affiliation.

In January, BIPOC USHR despatched a letter to Charlottetown metropolis councillors and Mayor Philip Brown asking them to sentence the invoice, and if doable to pledge funds to assist the authorized problem. 

“It actually hinders the flexibility of Muslim ladies particularly to interact and to work within the ways in which they wish to work,” mentioned BIPOC USHR government director Sobia Ali-Faisal. 

“It truly is about telling Muslim ladies how they will and can’t practise their very own religion.”

Non secular freedoms in Canada as is a elementary proper that’s protected by the Canadian Constitution of Rights and Freedoms.— Zain Esseghaier

She mentioned the invoice discriminates towards non secular freedom, however gadgets like a hijab are greater than only a non secular image. They supply non secular connection, emotions of security in addition to a bit of clothes that serves a goal.

“For a Muslim lady, the hijab is, actually it is a mixture of that non secular part that consolation that comes with it, a non secular consolation, that sense of id that comes with it and likewise that it covers part of a lady’s physique that she needs to maintain to herself or simply share with who she chooses to share it with,” Ali-Faisal mentioned. 

Ali-Faisal mentioned BIPOC USHR has despatched its request to the Metropolis of Summerside as properly.

‘Opens the floodgates’

BIPOC USHR is not the one group that wishes to see the town condemn the laws. Zain Esseghaier, who lives in Charlottetown and is a member of P.E.I.’s Muslim group, additionally despatched a letter to the mayor of Charlottetown.

“Non secular freedoms in Canada as is a elementary proper that’s protected by the Canadian Constitution of Rights and Freedoms,” mentioned Esseghaier.

“Mainly, they handed a legislation that’s oppressive, which opens the floodgates for different measures that governments can take to threaten and violate Canadians’ elementary rights.” 

Ali-Faisal mentioned she’s additionally frightened about what Invoice 21 might imply for the longer term. She mentioned that is why it is vital for the town and Islanders to face with these against the laws to combat the discrimination it presently creates and forestall future discrimination.

“We do not need this laws to be in place and we definitely don’t need this to get even worse for Muslim ladies in Quebec,” she mentioned.

“At the very least the narrative round this shall be Muslim lady needs to be allowed to practise their faith, to precise their spirituality, to precise their security in no matter method they need.”

Decision to be offered March 14

Mayor Brown mentioned final week the difficulty was raised at a gathering of the standing committee of strategic priorities and intergovernment co-operation, which unanimously handed a advice {that a} decision to oppose Invoice 21 be put to council. 

He mentioned council will vote on the decision at its subsequent common assembly March 14.

“We’re listening to people, to communities all through a political interval in workplace and we reply to it and hopefully it percolates as much as the opposite ranges of presidency,” Brown mentioned. 

“As a group, as a municipal council we’re listening to organizations and particular person members of our group to get their enter and their enter has been clear — oppose Invoice 21 in Quebec.”