MONTREAL, CANADA: A car stopped at a street light in Montreal waves the flag of the province of Quebec the day of the referendum on Quebec separatism 30 October. (Photo by CARLO ALLEGRI/AFP via Getty Images)
Some members of the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) are pushing for a ban on face coverings in public places, but the province has not confirmed whether it will act on the proposal.
The party originally planned to consider a ban on masked protesters at its weekend convention in Gatineau, but an amendment calling for a complete ban on face coverings in public received support from more than half of party members, including from Secularism and French-language Minister Jean-François Roberge.
The amendment, presented by Saint-François youth wing delegate Benjamin Archambault, was passed in a 152 to 150 vote. He said it was a bid to extend the ban on face coverings to public spaces, and appeared to reference the wearing of the niqab, a garment worn by some Muslim women, in his comments.
“In a free and equal society, we cannot accept that some women are hidden behind a full veil that covers everything but their eyes,” Archambault argued. “We already require uncovered faces to obtain a passport, take an exam or drive. Why should we make an exception in public spaces?”
The amendment was made to one of the resolutions released by the party last week for consideration by members at the Sept. 27-28 gathering.
The resolution suggested banning masked demonstrations and encampments in public or private places, referencing the “illegal encampments, notably at McGill University,” that have “occupied public space and harmed many people and institutions.” McGill was the site of an unauthorized months-long pro-Palestinian encampment last year, set up to demand the university cut all ties with Israeli institutions.
“The Coalition avenir Québec proposes to ban masked demonstrations, to punish the possession of dangerous objects during gatherings, and to prohibit encampments in public or private places, in order to preserve order and security,” the original proposal reads.
Quebec Premier François Legault told reporters in a press briefing after the debate that his caucus does not have an official position on the amendment, but said it is an issue worth considering.
“Other countries did it so I think it’s normal that we think about it,” he said. “That we look at what are the pros, the cons. So that’s what we’ll do in the next few months.”
Roberge told reporters the government needs to discuss the proposed ban on face coverings in public and the potential legal consequences that could come with its implementation.
“There is a question of living together,” said Roberge. “We look at each other, we know each other, communication is not only through words, so there is a question of interaction. That said, it raises issues that must be seriously studied from the point of view of rights and freedoms.”
Roberge said it is “far too early” to say the face covering ban would be included in the province’s upcoming bill to strengthen secularism and prohibit prayers in the streets, but noted that the proposal could promote secularism while also bolstering public security.
He said he voted in favour of the amendment because he believes it’s a subject worth debating.
Some exceptions would be necessary if such a law were passed, he added.
“I understand that there are all kinds of situations where it is legitimate to cover one’s face,” Roberge said, referencing the shields worn by welders and riot police, as well as Halloween costumes and face coverings during cold winter weather.
Other Legislation
The CAQ has enacted or is working on several laws to increase secularism in the province, safeguard the French language, and deal with gender-related issues.
The province is planning this fall to table a bill to prohibit “street prayers.” Roberge has described the bill as a bid to “strengthen secularism in Quebec.” Premier François Legault had raised the issue of ending public prayer last year, saying he wanted to send a “clear message to Islamists.”
The decision comes as tensions rise over Muslim prayers being performed during pro-Palestinian demonstrations, such as those in front of the Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal.
“The proliferation of street prayers is a serious and sensitive issue in Quebec,” Roberge wrote in a recent social media post. “Last December, our government expressed its discomfort with this increasingly prevalent phenomenon, particularly in Montreal.”
Roberge has not said which public spaces would be subject to the ban or how the government plans to enact the legislation, but Legault has previously said his government would not rule out using the notwithstanding clause to ensure the ban’s implementation.
The notwithstanding clause can be used by the government to override fundamental rights to implement a law.
Legault first mentioned his government was considering such a ban last December just before the National Assembly of Quebec went on its holiday break.
“Seeing people praying in the streets, in public parks, is not something we want in Quebec,” Legault said during a Dec. 6 press conference in Quebec City. “When we want to pray, we go to a church or we go to a mosque, but not in public places.”
The upcoming legislation builds on Quebec’s secularism law, Bill 21, which bans teachers, judges, police officers, and jail guards from wearing religious symbols while at work. The Legault government used the notwithstanding clause in 2019 to preemptively pass the bill.
Quebec is also enacting a ban on the use of recently created gender-neutral terminology in all of its official communications. Roberge has described it as a bid to avoid confusion and preserve the integrity of the French language.
Roberge told reporters last week that an increasing number of public bodies have been using gender-neutral words and it is causing confusion.
The newly implemented language policy will prohibit the use of terms such as “iel” — a recent creation that serves as an alternative to the singular pronoun “they” for individuals who identify as non-binary.
It will also ban new methods of writing words that seek to merge their masculine and feminine forms, such as “étudiant.e.s,” which pertains to both male and female students.
The CAQ banned the construction of gender-neutral bathrooms and locker rooms in public schools last May. The government directive mandated that all new bathrooms and locker rooms in schools across the province be designated for either boys or girls.
The province also announced in June that transgender inmates in provincial detention would be incarcerated according to their anatomical sex instead of their gender identity.
The Canadian Press contributed to this report.
Jennifer Cowan is a writer and editor with the Canadian edition of The Epoch Times.