Sunday, September 22, 2013

Quebec Values

The Charter of Quebec Values would ban religious symbols for public workers.The ban includes not only religious symbols, but also religious head coverings and clothing. Public workers are required to stay neutral and not to show their religions when they go to work.
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It is my opinion that banning public workers from wearing religious symbols, head coverings and clothing will run into many problems.First, you have to definite what religious symbols are. Then, you have to justify and clarify the permitted size of religious symbols on what is too large and unacceptable, and what is O.K.and why. Finally, how are you going to enforce such law?
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Some well-known religious symbols and head wears are the cross or crucifix, star of David, kippa, turban and the hijab.There are many other less known religious symbols.There are also symbols which are social, cultural, political, commercial and personal.When would a symbol become religious, hence must be banned? Who would be given the authority to define what a religious symbol is? What if a symbol is both cultural and religious, such as the cross? Is it O.K. to wear a hockey cap, since Canadians, including Quebeckers, love hockey 'religiously'? What about wearing a black hat that looks like one worn by an Orthodox Jew or Mennonite? What about a female worker wearing a head scarf, which is not necessarily a religious symbol? What about Halloween? Public workers are no longer allowed to become certain characters and wear Holloween costumes for just one day of fun? No more fairies and monsters? What about Christmas? No more Santa coming and passing candies and gifts? What if a public worker has tattoos on his or her arms, or hands, which are religious symbols? Are they supposed to hide them? Or will they be forced to remove the tattoos? What about life guards on a public beach or swimming pool ? What are they supposed to do if they have religious tattoos on their bodies? There are so many questions to ask !
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It sounds O.K.if you wear a small cross, but a big one is not allowed.Who would determine what is a permitted small size and what is not? What is too big, what is small enough, and why? After French language law, is the Quebec Government going to create an anti-religion police force? It sounds silly that in a free society, one would have broken the law, just because what one wore was a little too big. It is ironical, even hypocritical, that the crucifix on the wall of the Quebec National Assembly would be allowed to stay, based on an excuse that it is part of cultural heritage.And what about the huge Cross at Mount Royal ?
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As a Catholic or Christian, you will find it easy to comply with such law:just make your cross small enough to be O.K.to wear, but to a Sikh man, for example, you just can't tell him not to wear his turban.What kind of reasonable accommodation does the Charter of Quebec Values provide? Please tell me. Could the Charter of Quebec Values being created by the Quebec Government reject multiculturalism, which is clearly a Canadian reality? 
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I am not saying that the Charter of Quebec Values is all rubbish. Such important issue is indeed worth some rigorous debate and  honest discussion.Personally, I think it is very difficult and complicated, to put clarity and workability to the definition, measurement, and enforcement of the Quebec Values. Last but not least, Quebec is not, or not yet, a separate sovereign country. It is part of Canada. There is no way that the Quebec Charter of Values can trump the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. I see troubles ahead.    

 

            




         

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