Social Discord and Second-class Citizenship

The 2019 passage of Bill 21, An Act Respecting the Laicity of the State, has changed the lives of Muslims and other religious minorities in Quebec.

Quebec public servants–including teachers, law enforcement, prosecutors, and many others–are barred from wearing religious symbols like the hijab, turban, or kippah, at work. This law has forced many Quebecers, including Muslim women, to choose between their faith and their careers.

A year after its passage, the Covid 19 pandemic began and global industries were affected as lockdowns and vaccine mandates were imposed in various countries across the world, including Canada and in Quebec.

The report’s findings demonstrate that a large portion of Muslim women are under tremendous stress, have experienced racist treatment from colleagues and others, and are even contemplating leaving the province for greener pastures–a potential mass exodus that will result in billions of dollars in income loss for Quebec.

Proponents of Bill 21 have argued that the law promotes social cohesion and stability in Quebec. This report shows that the opposite is true. It also shows that the Bill generates unexamined and systemic socio-economic problems that, unless nipped at the bud, could afflict the province for generations to come.