Quebec’s Bill 21 a limit on the freedom and fundamental rights of Canadians

Tucked in her colourful hijab and conservative dressing, Lina Chaker entered the room at Signature Tribute Events Centre as one of the keynote speakers addressing the implications of Bill 21.

Chaker, 28, working on a Doctor of Laws degree at the University of Windsor and University of Detroit Mercy, is an advocate for understanding women’s rights within Islamic culture. She was debating on the issue in the presence of University of Windsor law professor Richard Moon, along with Sikh community leader Jasdeep Singh and Greater Essex County District School Board Diversity Officer Rachel Olivero.

Bill 21, which was passed into law last year, prohibits government employees from wearing religious garments and symbols in public spaces. It has sparked criticism directed at the current Quebec government, mostly from minority groups in the province.

According to Chaker, the Bill is targeted towards Muslims, which worries her. She plans to practice law in Quebec in the future and to her religious freedom and expression is far more important than legislation dictating her rights.

“Taking off the hijab will be extremely, extremely difficult for me, I will almost feel as if I am naked to be honest,” Chaker answered in a trembling voice. “I can’t remember the time when I was without a hijab in front of a non-relative.”

Chaker is born into a North American Arabic immigrant family and grew up observing strict Islamic values. She started wearing the hijab when she was six years old. Her elder sisters faced bullying at school, a reason why her parents wanted her to delay wearing it.

“The bill sends a negative message of who belongs and who doesn’t belong in the Canadian family,” Moon pointed out. “It is not about preserving culture. The state is supposed to be neutral in the matters of religion.”

Moon said the origin of Bill has to do with a complex relation between the Catholic Church and Quebec. He also pointed to how Quebec is influenced by France in social and political matters.

Olivero felt the bill could affect children in a very negative way.

“Bill 21 is sending out a lesson saying some citizens belong and some citizens do not belong, some citizens are greater than some are lesser than and kids as young as JK SK learn these lessons very quickly,” Olivero said with concern in her voice. Olivero is of Indian descent and grew up experiencing racism, she also pointed towards children’s parents for not doing enough.

“A very interesting thing happened in our school system when we started putting dolls of different skin tones, as we saw certain skin tone was being used more than other skin tones,” Olivero said. “When we asked the kids why they choose one colour over the other upon explanation we determined they were influenced by the implicit and explicit messages around them.”

Bill 21 has impacted the lives of families such as Amrit Kaur, a teacher of Punjabi origin. She wears a turban, was settled in Montreal and had no other choice but to move to British Columbia once the Bill was passed.

Sikh community leader Jasmeet Singh looked very concerned sitting next to Olivero.

“These are important positions, these are doctors, judges, teachers removing them from the society is like spreading negativity, I hope people of Quebec fight this as it is an unfair law,” Singh said, adding that these are the same tactics the Nazis used during the Second World War segregating minorities from the society.

Chaker hopes Bill 21 gets challenged and eventually ends up getting scraped before something similar makes its way towards the rest of Canada.

“It is something that impacts all of Canada,” Chaker said. “Even though it is just a Quebec piece of legislation, whether it is by future potential legislation, by the provinces or, and I mean, whether it is just by the mere fact of Quebec being a part of Canada.”