Canadian Sikhs outraged at Quebec discrimination proposals – Reaction and Summary

Canada-based World Sikh Organisation (WSO) have led calls from the international Sikh community speaking out against a bill that would discriminate against Sikhs in Quebec’s public sector.

Bill 21, was tabled by the Coalition Avenir Quebec government in late March. It would ban public employees in positions of authority from wearing religious symbols. This would include judges, police officers and teachers, which would particularly affect those wear turbans and other head-coverings, such as Amritdhari (initiated) Sikhs.

The WSO says that there are approximately 15,000 Sikhs in Quebec and it is not known how many of them will be directly impacted by the latest proposition. The bill – tabled by the provincial government – would only affect the region of Quebec.

WSO President Mukhbir Singh said, ‘The proposed legislation is a solution to a problem that does not exist- there is no evidence
to suggest that individuals wearing items of religious clothing are negatively impacting anyone in society. Secularism is about the neutrality of the state towards religion and not about limiting individuals’ freedom of religion.

‘This ban will have a deeply negative impact on Sikhs in Quebec. The wearing of the turban and the Sikh articles of faith is not optional for Sikhs and a ban on these articles of faith is, in effect, a ban on Sikhs in positions of authority. We fear that this ban will have a trickle-down effect into the private sector and young Sikhs who are born and raised in Quebec will find it
even more difficult to find jobs in the province.’

The Quebec government has invoked a ‘notwithstanding clause’ which allows the bill to override the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms for the next five years.

Mukhbir Singh continued, ‘Because the CAQ government has invoked the notwithstanding clause to override protections for freedom of religion enshrined in both the Canadian and Quebec Charters, the only solution is for the people of Quebec to strongly oppose this bill. We are also hopeful that politicians across Quebec and Canada will join us in denouncing this deeply
discriminatory legislation.’

Others speaking out against the bill also included NDP leader Jagmeet Singh and the US based Sikh Coalition.

"This law that's being proposed is something that divides a population…that to me is something that’s very saddening. I think it's hurtful, because I remember what it's like to grow up and not feel like I belong," says @theJagmeetSingh about Quebec's secularism bill. pic.twitter.com/1GlI0CZVot

— Power & Politics (@PnPCBC) March 28, 2019

Amrit Kaur, 28, is vice president for Quebec at the WSO and is training to be a teacher there. As a turban-wearing Sikh, she would be discriminated against by the bill. Current teachers do have existing protection, but this would be lost if they assumed a position of authority such as vice-principal or principal, thus preventing promotion for Sikhs such as Amrit Kaur.

Kaur said, ‘This is highly discriminatory; I’m really upset right now… you always thought that maybe this could happen but it was a maybe.’

She added that the bill relegates a Sikh wearing a religious symbol to being ‘a second-class citizen’ who ‘can’t integrate into the fabric of Quebec.’

Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has also spoken out against the proposals, saying: ‘It is unthinkable to me that in a free society we would legitimising discrimination against citizens based on their religion.’

Hundreds of Sikhs took part in protests against the bill, which many have said is endemic of Quebec culture, which also saw pushes to bar Sikh children wearing turbans from participating in local soccer leagues in 2013.

In regards to the future of the bill, website ChateLaine states, “The notwithstanding clause makes it more difficult to be contested in court, but not impossible, and some legally-minded types are already working on an alternative route. We should know before too long—the bill is due to be adopted in June.”