So our new premier-elect, who swept to power last night on votes from people living in places where they’ve probably never met a member of a religious minority, thinks it’s such a priority to ban Quebecois citizens — most of whom live in ridings that DIDN’T vote CAQ — from being able to freely practice their religion that he’s willing to overrule the constitution in order to do so:
But when asked by reporters about the notwithstanding clause and his immigration policy, he didn’t back down.
“I think that the vast majority of Quebecers, they would like to have a framework where people in an authority position must not wear a religious sign,” Legault said.
Political leaders generally have been reluctant to use the notwithstanding clause, which is viewed by many as politically perilous.
Let me break it down for people who are still wondering about this religious symbols thing: The state being neutral on religion doesn’t require every PERSON in the state to be religiously neutral, any more than the state being neutral on gender requires people working for the state to cut off their genitals.
The effect of this nonsense will be to effectively ban members of religious minorities from many sectors of the workforce, or to force them to make the impossible choice between practicing their faith or having a job. It will heighten xenophobia and pander to the racist majority — who are so butthurt over the notion that someone may choose to wear a scarf on her head that they made this issue into a voting priority — over the basic human rights of minorities. And it will perpetuate the notion that only white, Christian, ‘pur-laine’ Quebecers have rights in this province.
I’m so unbelievably disgusted with my fellow citizens right now. How could this guy be our new premier?