The separatist government of Quebec has reintroduced the bill announced last winter and then allowed to drop that would legislate religious intolerance in the public service. Specifically, anyone in the public service (this includes universities, hospitals, and the like) may not wear any religious symbols except a cross. Also excepted would be the giant crucifix in the legislature and, of course, the huge cross on Mt. Royal (on public grounds).
Although no actual rationale has been given, I can think of two. First, to appeal to the “vielle souche” (literally “old stump”) Quebecois who fear all the newcomers (read Moslems) without turning them off by also banning crosses. Second, to encourage “les autres” (those outsiders) to leave so that they cannot vote no in an eventual referendum on separation. I might mention that the government narrowly lost the last referendum and blamed “the money and ethnic votes”, meaning essentially all the new citizens.
There is, reportedly, less than 1% of “ethnics” in the actual civil service, so it is safe to assume that the parapublic service (hospitals, universities, etc.) is the real target.
Let me add that 25 years ago, my wife worked briefly as a translator for the Ministry of Education (English language texts were not allowed in English schools; only English translations of the French were permitted and that’s what she did). The civil servants were permitted 3 “discretionary days” a year and when she asked to take off Yom Kippur, it was refused because “it would cause problems if everyone (i.e. both of the Jews) in the public service asked for that day off.”
Note that the PQ governemnt is in a minority government situation, and both the opposition parties have stated they oppose the proposal, so we’re quite a ways from this becoming law.
Not to downplay the significance of the proposal; it reeks of religious intolerance and is very disturbing.
Subsequent to your wife’s experience, Hari, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that an employer who did not allow Jews to take holy days off was in breach of a collective agreement and the Quebec Charter of Human Rights: see Commission scolaire régionale de Chambly v. Bergevin, [1994] 2 S.C.R. 525
I didn’t know that. But this took place several years earlier. She took a day without pay instead. But it makes you wonder what a discretionary day is.
Actions by groups like this in Quebec are simply medieval-style sectarianism using modern methods - the end result will be to clear the area of all non-Catholics (something which is annoyingly common in Catholic regions everywhere). I’ve even heard one guy boast about this when letting his guard down. Innumerable places in Quebec are already named after the Virgin Mary, a Saint, etc. and you’ll notice they are not proposing to change any of that. Anyone who identified with Anglo/Protestant culture (probably their most hated group) already moved out of Quebec between 1970-1995 (my family was among them.)