I'm at a loss for words right now.
Portions of Quebec's proposed "Charter of Quebec Values" were leaked to the press, and it includes a plan to prohibit people like doctors, teachers and public
daycare workers from donning turbans, kippas, hijabs and visible
crucifixes in public institutions.
If you know me, you know I'm an open Atheist, so you would be forgiven for speculating that secularization is something I would be down with, but I'm sorry to inform you that you would be wrong. While I don't believe in a god or higher powers, I'm really and truly one of those hippy-dippy "you have your thing, I have mine, and as long as there's no harm to life or liberty, it's no big deal" types of Atheists. In other words, I won't agree with you, but as long as your beliefs aren't doing harm, I'll give you the benefit of contextualization. And to me, as long as a person is freely making the choice (i.e. not coerced) to wear an accepted religious symbol of their faith, it's not the business of society and government to go about imposing what I believe is simply an assimilationist measure.
Ultimately, I don't believe at all that this proposed ban is about anything other than assimilation or forced integration of immigrants. I may be wrong, but I heard some outrageous things during the turbans and soccer debate earlier this year, and I can't ignore that fact as I go forward and judge this proposed ban.
But I'm actually curious then...does that mean that any of the nuns and priests who currently practice in public hospitals and schools and such will have to give up their religious clothes too? Can anyone with a far stronger grasp of French decipher that for me?
We're all the better for knowing more about our world...
...Wish you were here.
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