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proposed law in Quebec would forbid Jewish public servants, like police officers and public school teachers, from wearing kippahs to work, a measure that supporters say will ensure the Canadian province’s secular character.
The Jewish community is fighting back.
“My kippah is my deep faith,” declared Lionel Perez, a Montreal City Council member, in response to the proposed law, known as Bill 21. “The fact of wearing it does not prevent me from defending the interests of my constituents and my fellow citizens and from contributing to Quebec society. It does not cast doubt on my impartiality. My kippah is not an affront to secularism. On the contrary, it’s proof that Quebec is evolving while respecting its diversity.”
The Quebec government, led by Premier François Legault of the center-right nationalist Coalition Avenir Quebec party, claims that a “large majority” of Quebecers favor the measure, which would also ban Muslim head coverings and Sikh turbans. Since his party controls Quebec’s legislature, passage of the bill at the end of June is all but assured.
Critics argue that Quebec’s secularism is not under threat, and that restriction of religious freedoms and equal access to employment in private and public sectors is unjustified. Neither is there evidence that those impacted by the bill ever demonstrated partiality in carrying out their professional duties.
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