Quebec's religious neutrality law to face court challenge

[OBEY 57,109]

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2017/11/07/bill-62-quebecs-religious-neutrality-law-to-face-court-challenge_a_23269540/

"MONTREAL — Two groups have filed a legal challenge to Quebec's Bill 62, saying the face-veil law "gravely infringes" the religious and equality rights of certain Muslim women in the province.

The recently adopted law prohibits students from covering their face in class.

It also forces people whose fare requires a card with photo ID to uncover their face before riding public transit, although they can put the veil back on once they've been identified.

The National Council of Canadian Muslims, the Canadian Civil Liberties Association and Marie-Michelle Lacoste, a Quebec woman who converted to Islam in 2003, filed the challenge in Quebec Superior Court on Tuesday.

"The Act gravely infringes the religious and equality rights of certain Muslim women in Quebec," their court document states.

 

'Discriminatory, unconstitutional and unnecessary piece of legislation'

The challenge takes direct aim at the section of the law that forces public sector employees and private citizens to have their face uncovered when giving or receiving public services.

"This requirement directly infringes the freedom of religion of individuals, such as Muslim women, who cover their faces as a religious practice," it said.

"The Act thus precludes certain Muslim women, including affiants in these proceedings, from receiving various public services unless they act contrary to their sincerely held religious beliefs."

Ihsaan Gardee, executive-director of the National Council of Canadian Muslims, told a news conference the law is clearly aimed at Muslim women who wear a face veil.

"Our legal challenge targets the heart of what this law really is: a discriminatory, unconstitutional and unnecessary piece of legislation that excludes and stigmatizes an already marginalized and vulnerable minority of women and, by extension, the larger Quebec Muslim community," he said.

"We believe Quebecers don't support discrimination and prejudice, which is what Bill 62 codifies into law."

In Quebec City, Premier Philippe Couillard briefly commented on the challenge, saying, "we deliberately wrote a bill that respects the charters and we're very comfortable with that."

Justice Minister Stephanie Vallee, who spearheaded the legislation, said much the same thing.

"It is a law that is respectful of the rights and freedoms that are guaranteed by the charters," she said.

Vallee has previously said the face-veil ban was instituted in order to ensure proper communication, identification and security during the exchange of public services.

The law has been panned across the country by federal and provincial politicians, who see it as targeting a small minority of Muslim women — essentially the only citizens who regularly wear face veils in public.

 

Law doesn't target Muslims: Quebec justice minister

Vallee has said the legislation doesn't target any religious group and says most Quebecers agree with the principle behind the bill.

Montreal-born Fatima Ahmad, who has been wearing a niqab since she was given it as a gift more than a year ago, says in an affidavit included in the court document that her life has become significantly more difficult since Bill 62 became law.

Ahmad, 21, said she is concerned it will affect her ability to continue going to university, visit the library, see the doctor and take public transit.

The second-year McGill University student now avoids taking public transit for fear of being turned away or being asked to remove her niqab."

underlined and bold parts were added from me.

[OBEY 57,109]

"RECENT UPDATE : Lawyer calls for temporary suspension of face-covering law

Quebec’s controversial face-covering law was tested for the first time before the courts on Friday as opponents argued for a temporary suspension of a key section.

Marie-Michelle Lacoste, a Quebec woman who wears the veil, the National Council of Canadian Muslims and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association launched the challenge last week, asking for a temporary suspension of the section of the law that requires uncovered face when giving or receiving public services.

Quebec Superior Court Justice Babak Barin said he would render a decision as soon as possible.

Lawyer Catherine McKenzie, representing the plaintiffs, argued the section of the law violates the right to equality and freedom of religion, which are guaranteed by the Quebec and Canadian charters, and should be declared invalid.

The section must be suspended temporarily pending a legal debate on the substance of the matter and a ruling, she told the judge.

McKenzie argued the matter is urgent, given the significant impact on Muslim women who wear the veil on a daily basis. She added the damages to those women would be irreparable."

original text here : http://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/bill-62-quebec-court-to-hear-challenge-to-face-covering-law-friday

underlined and bold parts are added from me.

[ALGAYDO 35,072]

This is a public safety issue. I have no problem with it. Like, I get that it may be extremely awkward and uncomfortable for certain religious people, but this is way bigger than that. 

[ALGAYDO 35,072]

1 minute ago, OBEY said:

UPDATE :

[OBEY 57,109]

Just now, HOMODRAKE said:

there's been a recent update yesterday about the case, read above I just edited  

[Sizzily 14,571]

Putting aside religious convictions for like a few seconds isn't gonna kill anyone.

[OBEY 57,109]

I really wonder what will Quebec's superior court say and if it will go to the Supreme Court of Canada. I really wonder whether it would pass the Oakes constitutional test or not  

[OBEY 57,109]

10 minutes ago, Booker DeWitt said:

Putting aside religious convictions for like a few seconds isn't gonna kill anyone.

the problem I have with this law is that it's like.

"hey guys were not targeting muslims at all, it applies to everyone in the province, u also need to take off ur scarfs and sunglasses !" 

but in practice, what will happen? a person that walks into the bus with glasses probably won't get asked by the driver to take these off when they're registering/paying, whether they'll probably ask the muslim women to take off their veil way more  but maybe I'm wrong?   

[Sizzily 14,571]

There's a pretty big difference between glasses and a face veil.  

[OBEY 57,109]

Just now, Booker DeWitt said:

There's a pretty big difference between glasses and a face veil.  

Well ofc i know that but ask the minister of justice she said a scarf, sunglasses could be asked to be taken off too!

but in practise i think people will ask more to people to take their veils off instead of sunglasses bc as you said theres a difference between these two so the law overall won’t be applied equally to the population... idk if what im saying makes sense to you 😂

[Supersonic 49,376]

Austria has implented a similar law as well. Essentially, it's not practicable altogether because banning "face veils" per se also bans costumes, glasses, clown's noses, big scarfs etc.

[Nikolai Barrow 1,337]

Honestly radical Islam is not that big of problem in Canada. Most Canadians know this comes from a place of racism.

There was no real reason to make this law. Quebec has great insecurities about loosing it's culture. That's what this is about. 

[Nemo 4,410]

You have to show ID just to get on the bus?

[Balenciaga 42]

Why can't we just let people wear whatever the hell they want to wear? 

[Melech 9,900]

It should be banned.