Quebec’s bill to ban religious symbols sparks condemnation
By Les Perreaux
The Globe and Mail | March 28, 2019
Waves of condemnation washed over Quebec’s move Thursday to ban some public-sector workers from wearing religiously symbolic articles, despite Premier François Legault’s attempt to pacify the issue with a grandfather clause exempting current employees who stay in the same job.
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The National Council of Canadian Muslims called the legislation discriminatory and regressive. Executive director Ihsaan Gardee said the timing of Quebec’s law was troubling.
“We’re concerned about how it might embolden people who already hold racist or hateful views to act out on them,” Mr. Gardee said in an interview. He noted that the legislation comes only two weeks after the mosque shooting in New Zealand that killed 50 worshippers, and two years after the Quebec City mosque attack that claimed six lives. Online hate is also on the rise, he said.