Quebec’s PQ government has published a helpful set of comic panels showing Quebecers what sort of religious garb will be permitted, and not permitted, under its planned secularism charter. There are separate panels for Jews, Christians, Sikhs and Muslims. Teeny religious symbols are permis au personnel de l’état. Anything visible from across a room, on the other hand, ne seraient pas permis.
But if Pauline Marois and her supporters were being more honest with themselves, the comic would have had but a single panel: an image of a veiled woman with a line through it.
Face-covering is what this is really about. Turbans, crosses and Stars of David are all just collateral damage stuck in for the sake of ostensible religious neutrality. It simply wouldn’t do for Ms. Marois to single out one religious faith for censure. So she created a policy that goes after everyone. [National Post] Read more
