Open Letter on Quebec’s Bill 21
December 16, 2021
Open Letter on Quebec’s Bill 21
As Senators of Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, and Sikh descent, we know all too well and too personally the pain of being discriminated against because of our religious and cultural beliefs, practices, and identities. That is why the debate over Quebec’s Bill 21 feels so personal to us.
We honour and respect the fact that Quebec is striving to create a contemporary secular society, one that respects the equality of men and women, one that protects a woman’s right to dress however she pleases, one that does not allow agents of the state nor people in positions of state authority to privilege one religion over another.
However, there is an inherent contradiction in trying to liberate women by regulating what they wear, or by removing a teacher from the classroom because she freely chooses to don a hijab. There is a powerful irony in denying observant Jews or Sikhs or Muslims the right to serve as judges or police officers or prison guards, in the name of not imposing a state religion.
The Quebecois are justly proud of their French language and distinct culture, and fiercely protective of their rights as a linguistic minority within Canada and North America. The people of Quebec should therefore be able to empathize with Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus, and Jews who are also proud of their cultural identity, and proud to be Quebecois and Canadian too.
Today, we wish to send a message to all Canadians and all Quebeckers, regardless of their faith or creed or culture, regardless of how they dress or how they worship, that they are full and equal citizens under the law, and entitled to all the protections of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. We wish to send a message that they, and we, belong here, and are part of the extraordinary tapestry of our richly diverse, bilingual and multicultural country.
While we respect the jurisdictional powers of the Quebec government, we wish to stand in solidarity with our sisters and brothers in Quebec, who are only asking for equality and acceptance, in the province they love and which they proudly call home.
The Honourable Salma Ataullahjan, Senator for Ontario
The Honourable Mobina S.B. Jaffer, Senator for British Columbia
The Honourable Sabi Marwah, Senator for Ontario
The Honourable Ratna Omidvar, Senator for Ontario
The Honourable Mohamed-Iqbal Ravalia, Senator for Newfoundland and Labrador
The Honourable Paula Simons, Senator for Alberta
The Honourable Howard Wetston, Senator for Ontario
The Honourable Hassan Yussuff, Senator for Ontario