The Cruelty of Bill 94

                                                                         Asma Qureshi 

The madness of Bill 94 continues in the province of Quebec. The bill, adopted last Fall, introduced a further set of secularism measures  banning the wearing of religious symbols for all school employees, students are prohibited from wearing face coverings, and the ban on religious symbols now also applies to parent volunteers at schools.

At the time former education minister Bernard Drainville said "In Quebec, we made the decision that the state and religion are separate. And today we say the public schools are separate from religion. " 

Now the ban on symbols and apparel extends to parent volunteers at schools. I've written before about how this targets Muslim women more than any other group because of the hijab head covering. Even though finding volunteers in schools is a challenge one mother will no longer be able to offer assistance in her childrens' library. Another has been planning an end-of-school meal for her kids and their classmates but won't be permitted to serve it.

Asma Qureshi, who wears a hijab, has volunteered in various capacities for seven years at the same school Khan’s [llbrary volunteer] children attend , including this year helping to organize a lunch for her daughter’s graduating class.She and her husband, who owns a restaurant, are donating all the food.

“One of the things that hit me hard is that when I asked if I could participate in that event and be there to distribute the food, I was told I couldn't because of my hijab,” Qureshi said, adding she’s feeling a mixture of hurt, sadness, anger and shock. 

Seven years of generous service to children. What if a parent showed up to volunteer wearing a toque, or a beret but was known to be a Muslim or a Jew? Would the secularism police be called in to make a judgement about the head covering as a "stealth" kippah or hijab? Who does this really serve, and doesn't it deepen the "us and them" prejudices that lead to hatred and misunderstanding? 

According to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms we are all guaranteed freedom of conscience and religion. Quebec is still a part of Canada, isn't it?