No balaclava or full-face veil in the bus, strip the minister of Justice

Archival Photo Simon Clark
The draft law on religious neutrality would prohibit all forms of face covered in transit services.

Kathryne Lamontagne

Wednesday, 18 October, 2017 09:55

UPDATE
Wednesday, 18 October 2017 12:20

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Adopted on Wednesday at the national Assembly, the draft law on religious neutrality prohibits all forms of face covered in the exchange of public services, including both the full-face veil, the hood, ruled the government.

“The covered face, it is something other than religion,” commented the prime minister Philippe Couillard, in the minutes following the adoption of bill 62 by the liberal majority on Wednesday, in the national Assembly.

Some of the provisions of this bill will come into force imminently, as soon as he receives the seal of the lieutenant-governor. This is the case of the exchange of public services with their faces uncovered, a concept that concerns the municipalities and transportation companies.

“Are you talking to me, I speak to you, I see you face, you see mine. It is part of the communication. This is a question which in my opinion is not solely religious, which is human,” said Mr. Couillard.

A university student who wishes to take an exam, will he have the face covered? A woman with the face veiled will climb aboard a bus? No, assured the minister of Justice, which refused so far to comment on the “case”. “To take a public transport, it is necessary to have an open face. Along the route,” says Stéphanie Vallée.

Hoods

The requirement of the face short touch not the full-face veil that the balaclava, bandana, or sunglasses, that covers up the face, she shown. The minister Valley base this decision on grounds of security, communication and identification, mentioning in the same breath the violent protests that occurred in Quebec at the end of the month of August.

Note that, as a result of these incidents, the mayor of Quebec had declared that he no longer wanted to “burqa”, “niqab” and “balaclava” in the public space. The minister Gaétan Barrette had immediately regretted the fact that Régis Labeaume has made a link between the protesters wearing balaclavas, and women who hide their face with a garment of a religious.

Accommodations

The draft law on religious neutrality allows reasonable accommodations for religious reasons, under the Charter of rights and freedoms. “It is impossible to prevent someone from requesting an accommodation, said the prime minister. What you need to do is determine the criteria for analysis and decision-making.”

The guidelines surrounding the processing of these requests shall not, however, revealed that in the spring. In the meantime, this will be on a “case-by-case basis”, stated the minister. Mr. Couillard has invited municipalities to discuss with the government of any rules made under that act. Steps have been initiated in this direction in August, pleads Ms Valley.

A “prank”

All opposition parties are opposed to this piece of legislation, that the Parti québécois has called “a farce”. “When the judges are going to decide, well, everyone will have to have the face uncovered, except those who want to cover it for religious reasons. Then, it is: apart from Batman and Spiderman, there, all those who have religious reasons will be able to have the covered face”, shouted the chef, Jean-François Lisée.